Up Close & Personal: Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour Comes to Manatee Performing Arts Center

By Jacqueline Miller

When Jane Seymour comes to the stage at Manatee Performing Arts Center in January 2019, she will not be gracing the stage in a starring role as the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress we all know and love. Instead she will stand before us as a talented artist and inspiring philanthropist opening her heart for all of us to see.

Ms. Seymour’s passion for art is based on an open-hearted philosophy instilled in her by her mother, a World War II Japanese internment camp survivor. Her mother survived three and a half horrific years by caring for fellow prisoners and focusing her energy on serving others in her effort to survive. Jane was greatly impacted by her mother’s story and was inspired by her mother’s advice that love has no boundaries and flows unconditionally.

This powerful inspiration resulted in the Open Hearts Foundation, which Ms. Seymour established in 2010 to fulfill her dream of building a legacy dedicated to serving others, and empowering people to turn adversity into opportunity. But let’s go back to the beginning of her “open-hearts” journey.

Her love of art began as a child in England, when family gifts were created, not purchased, so the true spirit of giving oneself was expressed. This was the genesis of what would be a lifetime of charitable work for Ms. Seymour. Over two decades ago, when faced with personal challenges, she began painting as an expression of healing.  Throughout those years and through today, her open heart endures through her artwork to select charities which help children in need.

Today, Ms. Seymour is widely known as an accomplished, passionate painter creating an intimate world of delicate watercolors and colorful vibrant oil paintings and bronze sculptures. She has exhibited in numerous galleries and venues across the nation, and Canada, and has accepted select private commissions. An inspirational trip to paint in Monet’s garden in Giverny, France, resulted in an elaborate series of paintings and watercolors depicting the gardens.

In 2004, her first one-woman museum exhibition was mounted at the Butler Institute of American Art in conjunction with their 85th anniversary celebration. She was chosen as the official artist for Naples Winter Wine Festival 2006, and also that year she was one of the painters selected to represent the US team in the Winter Olympics held in Torino, Italy. For this, Ms. Seymour created the largest landscape of her career, graced by the majestic snow-covered Alps with the dove of peace flying above the traditional red rooftops. In 2007, she was selected as one of the official artists of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and asked to paint a beautiful Portrait of a Chinese Peony. For the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, she created an image of one of her Open Hearts designs, titled Snowy Open Heart II, with the accompanying title “Compete with an Open Heart.”

Ms. Seymour’s Open Heart designs are also now part of jewelry collection by Kay Jewelers, and are available at Kay Jewelers and at Jared the Galleria of Jewelry stores in the US and Canada. The artist published an accompanying inspirational book titled Open Hearts to round out the collection of art and jewelry designs. Open Hearts, which is a collection of excerpts from world literature, quotes and sayings from world leaders, and stories from everyday people, is in its fourth printing, and has experienced immediate success along with the jewelry line.

Ms. Seymour is also a prolific author of almost a dozen books; her sold-out autobiographical and inspirational book, Remarkable Changes, was published in 2003 and has enjoyed great success, followed by her coffee table design book called Making Yourself at Home. A follow-up tome to the very successful Open Hearts, titled Among Angels, was published in 2010, and a companion book Open Hearts Family released in October, 2012. Recently, the fourth in the series was published in 2014, and called The Wave. Collecting many of the Open Heart stories shared with her through the years resulted in a new inspirational book titled The Road Ahead, published just in time for Christmas, 2017, also to much success.

Coral Canyon Publishing, Ms. Seymour’s art company, has released a collection of fine art Open Heart bronze sculptures by the artist and introduced the editions to the fine art world in the Spring of 2009. The Open Heart Icon and the Single Open Heart designs are currently available in three different patinas. Additional works of fine art bronze sculpture include a Portrait Head of a Girl, a Seated Nude, and a series of children’s sculptures of her twin boys, and their playmate, Madeleine, all in traditional patina.

Jane Seymour Art –

Up Close and Personal:

The Open Heart Philosophy

January 2019 Bradenton, Florida

• A collection of about 40 pieces of originals and giclee prints on exhibit from January 10 through February 9, 2019 at The Studio at Gulf and Pine, Anna Maria Island.

• An invitation-only artist reception on Friday evening, January 18, when Ms. Seymour and famed local chef and restaurateur Ed Chiles will do a heart-healthy, farm-to-fork cooking demonstration. Ed Chiles, son of The Studio founder Rhea and former Governor Lawton Chiles, is the owner of Sandbar, Beach House and Mar Vista restaurants.

• Jane Seymour Art – Up Close and Personal: The Open Heart Philosophy

Manatee Performing Arts Center, January 19, 2019 at Noon: An afternoon discussion with the artist. Ms. Seymour will discuss her art, motivation and inspiration behind the Open Hearts Philosophy. A Q&A will follow, along with book signing and photo opportunity. Books will be available at the theater. Seating is limited.

Tickets are on sale now online at:

tickets.manateeplayers.com or through the box office at 941.748.5875.