Jesse White

Jesse is an author-illustrator and muralist creating whimsical, wonder-filled work that explores the power of imagination and adventure. Nature is a strong throughline in those explorations, a focus that stems from a childhood spent playing in the woods in rural North Carolina. A proud Tar Heel, Jesse graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BFA in Studio Art, then earned her MA in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She began her career as an art teacher in Washington, DC, where she also helped design and implement a district-wide visual art curriculum and develop trauma-informed art education practices.

Jesse now lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she loves to draw, cook and eat delicious vegan food, and take lots of walks outside. Her first picture book, Brave Like Fireweed, is forthcoming in August 2024 from Union Square Kids.