Although Maryanne Jacobsen has described her work as “a gallery of forgotten dreams”, her body of original paintings is hardly forgettable. Indeed, her vibrantly-colored oils have been described by collectors and fellow artists as lyrical, inspired and ‘dramatic art for passionate people’, since color is the motivating theme behind each piece of art she creates. Although Maryanne took a circuitous route to achieve a lifelong dream of becoming a visual artist, she is a late bloomer that seldom disappoints. Repeat collectors are always enchanted with her deliberate impasto and unabashed use of color, and new paintings are quickly acquired. Maryanne began her oil painting journey in February of 2006, and since then hardly a day passes by that has not found her with palette knife in hand, and face streaked with cadmium colors. Ironically, this new form of grease paint replaces a successful career in the performing arts, which Jacobsen also achieved through a road less traveled. Ms. Jacobsen is the former regional director of The Rock School West, an official school of The Pennsylvania Ballet, as well as the founding director of West Chester Dance Theatre. Her work is being enthusiastically collected throughout the United States and abroad, and in the short amount of time that she has been exhibiting her works, she has been accepted into dozens of juried shows, collected numerous awards along the way, and has exhibited her work in prestigious invitationals through the country, as well as government buildings and commercial establishments throughout the Southwest Florida area, where she now resides with her husband, Ken.

Maryanne is a colorist and contemporary impressionist. Although primarily self-taught, she has taken workshops with David Leffel, Julie Hanson, Rob Liberace, John Ebersberger, Hodges Soileau and Clayton Beck.

• January 2012- Venice Art Center's Portrait and Figurative Exhibit-"Amazing Grace" received the Second Place Award
  
• November 2011-Venice Art Center's Fall Member's exhibit- "Time to Go" received the People's Choice Award
• November 2011-North Port Art Center's 'Treasures' exhibit- "Ice Plant Season at Monterey" received the First Place Award
  
• October 2011-Englewood Art Center's 'Memory Lane' exhibit- "Fish Beach Road, Monhegan Island" received the Second Place Award
• April-May2011-"Abstraction", Venice Art Center-"Hobbit's Hide-Out" received the First Place Award
• January 2011- Three paintings have won spots in the Paint America Top 100 national competition and two paintings have won spots in the Top 50 mini's.
• Solo exhibit at The North Port Art Center- Nov.1st through January 1st 2011
• December-January 2011- "Anything that Breathes", portraiture and figuarive exhibit at The Venice Art Center.
• November12-December 10, 2010-"Show us your Best", Venice Art Center- "Purple meets Orange" won The People's Choice Award at the opening reception
• April-June 2010- Exhibit at North Port City Hall, with Ron Haggart
• April 2010- Painters of the Southeast Palette Knife exhibit-juried,  The Gallery at Paper Mill Village, Atlanta, Ga.
• April 2010- Spring Exhibit, juried, The Venice Art Center
• March 2010-"Paint-out in Paradise"- 5th annual invitational plein air paint out- Venice Art Center
• PAINT AMERICA TOP 100- "Mr. Clucky of Miami" was chosen for the 2010 tour of the top 100 paintings in their annual national competition
• January 19-January 31, 2010- "Windows to Your World". The 3rd annual invitational art show at The Windsor at Lakewood Ranch- Honorable merit award for "Mr. Clucky"
• January 19- March 6, 2010-"Red Hot", juried, Art Center Sarasota
• January 16-through February 2010- "Wide World of Animals"-Third Place Award for "Warm and Cozy"
• October-December 2nd- The American Impressionist Society's 10th annual juried show, Saks Gallery, Denver, Co.
• November 13th -December 5, "Portraits and Figures"-juried-Venice Art Center
• October 2009, "Simple Gifts" received a Merit award at Art Center Sarasota's "Show Us what You've Got", season opener.
• September- October 8th, "Anything Goes", juried, Venice Art Center
• September-October 2009, "Eagle's Perch" received an Honorable merit award at The North Port Art Center's "Above and Below exhibit.
• July-September 2009, "Green", juried, Art Center Sarasota
• May-June 2009, "Colle Verde Vineyard" received an Honorable Merit Award in Venice Art Center's Spring all-media exhibit
• May- June 2009, "Masquerade, Mystery and Mischief", juried, Art Center Sarasota
• May 2009, "Palette Perspectives", judged, North Port Art Center
• April 2009, "End of Summer" was chosen to be displayed in the office of North Port City Hall's Economic Development Manager Allen Lane's new office.,
• March 2009, "Tea in the Garden"- winner in North Port Art Center's Spring High Tea and Fashion Show Contest
• March 2009, "Our Planet", juried, The North Port Art Center
• February 2009, "Paint out in Paradise"- 4th annual plein air invitational paint-out- benefits the Venice Art Center
• January 2009, "Neighbors not Strangers", juried, Art Center Sarasota
• January 2009, Portrait and Figurative Exhibit, juried, The Venice Art Center
• November 2008, Art from the Heart exhibit, The Englewood Art Center- SECOND PLACE AWARD for "Fantasy Impromptu".
• November- January 2009, "Festive" exhibit, North Port Art Guild- PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD for "Simple Gifts", also Honorable Merit Award for "Simple Gifts"
• October 2008- Abstract exhibit, juried, Venice Art Center
• September-October 2008- "Faces in Places"-juried, North Port Art Guild- SECOND PLACE AWARD for "The Girl in the Red Unitard"
• September-October 2008- "Landscapes and Seascapes", Juried- Venice Art Center
• September-October 2008- "Down to the Sea". Juried- Englewood Art Center (a division of Ringling College of the Arts)
• April-May 2008-The 145th annual exhibition of small oil paintings"- juried, "Philadelphia Sketch Club
• April 2008- "Member's Spring exhibit"- juried, Venice Art Center
• March-April 2008- "All that Jazz"-juried, Englewood Art Center- HONORABLE MENTION AWARD for "Jazzy Roses"
• February 25th-March 8th-"Paint-Out in Paradise" 3rd Invitational 2008- Venice Art Center, Venice Florida
• Long Boat Key Center for the Arts- "Northern Trust Exhibit"- February- March 2008
• January- February 2008- “In the Spotlight”, juried, Art Center Manatee
• January- February 2008- “Objects of Touch”, juried, Art Center Sarasota
• January11, 2008- “Portraits and Figurative Exhibit” , juried, Venice Art Center
• November 28, 2007-"A Courting Affair"- Plein Air Paint-out to benefit the Alzheimer Foundation
• November 30- December, "Abstract Exhibit", juried, Venice Art Center
• November thru December2007, "Celebration of Art", North Port Art Center
• November thru December2007, "12by12”,  juried, Art Center Sarasota
• September thru October 2007, "Seeing god", juried, Art Center Sarasota
• September 2007, Landscapes and Seascapes, Juried, Venice Art Center
• August 2007, "Arts Alive!", Juried, North Port Art Center
• June 2007, "Show us What you've got!",  Juried, Art Center Sarasota,
• May thru December 2007, Sarasota, FL., City Hall exhibit-Juried.
• April 2007, North Port Area Performing Arts Center
• March 2007, "The Colors of Life"- Juried, Art Center Manatee
• SOLO EXHIBIT: January 2007, "Save our Sarasota"- Juried, Art Center Sarasota November 2006,  "The Colors of Florida”,, The Frances Bourne Jacaranda Public Library, Venice , Florida
• October 2006, "Members Fall Exhibit", Juried, Venice Art Center
• October 2006, "Anything Goes", Englewood Art Center
• September 2006, "New Beginnings", Juried,  Venice Art Center
• Summer 2006,  "Hot and Humid", Englewood Art Center
• Summer 2006, "Dreams", Juried, Art Center Sarasota
• May 2006, The Art of Words, Juried, Venice Art Center
• May 2006, "Best Friends 4", private invitational exhibit of 4 local artists, Jacaranda Public Library
• April 2006, Member's Spring Exhibition, Juried, Venice Art Center
• April 2006, Fine Art Show, Juried, North Port Area Art Guild exhibit at North Port’s  City Hall
• November 2005, Member's Fall Exhibition, Juried, Venice Art Center
• October 2005, Landscape Exhibition, Juried, Venice Art Center
• September 2005- Season Opener, Juried, Venice Art Center
• Summer 2005- Summer Sizzler, Juried, Art Center Sarasota