Jamie Schwaba

For Jamie Schwaba, art is a necessary rhythm of life.

“I don’t feel like my day is complete if I haven’t done some form of creating,” says the Winona, Minnesota-based artist.

But she is quick to acknowledge the balancing act that comes with a full-time job, a leadership role in community theatre, a son away at college, and a beloved rescue poodle mix who expects his daily walks.

“I usually create in the evenings and on weekends,” she says. “I’m really lucky to have a supportive husband who’s okay with the fact that sometimes I need to draw or paint instead of doing the dishes.”

Though her passion and talent for her current preferred mediums – watercolors, ink, pastels – is something of a recent development (one good thing to come out of the COVID pandemic), she is a seasoned veteran and champion of the arts.

Bilbo, the Schwaba’s rescue poodle mix. / Photo courtesy Jamie Schwaba

Jamie grew up in Kansas, where she fell in love with theatre and live performance. After graduating high school, she deferred college for a year to travel with the performing arts group Up With People. She then attended Carroll University near Milwaukee, earning a bachelor’s degree in theatre.

After 14 years in Milwaukee, Jamie started a new position as the Managing Director for the Minnesota Conservatory of the Arts. This job not only brought her family to their now-beloved home of Winona, but it was also the catalyst for her current art practice.

Though she remembers dabbling in various art forms as a kid, it had been many years since she had been able to find the time to simply create for the joy of it. Between work and family, there wasn’t much room left for the spotlight.

Until 2020, that is, when she worked with her team at the Minnesota Conservatory of the Arts to develop a series of virtual art classes designed to keep the community connected, engaged, and hopeful during a time of deep fear and uncertainty.

“We had to pivot and put everything online at the art school,” she recalls. “One of our instructors was teaching an online class in oil pastels, and I was moderating. I had never worked with them before, but I found myself following along.”

From there, her artistic curiosity took flight. She began experimenting with ink, watercolors, pan pastels, colored pencils – whatever she had access to.

Jamie’s new hometown and her love for the Driftless have been huge sources of inspiration from the start. She’s known for pieces that celebrate the area’s landscape: buildings, urban scenes, cafés, bookstores (bonus points if animals are included!), and plenty of natural spaces.

Jamie especially loves highlighting area businesses and initiatives she believes in. Whether it’s painting her favorite hangout spots or collaborating with small-business owners on commissions, it’s her way of saying, “Hey, this place is special, and I want you to know about it.”

The Blue Heron Coffeehouse in Winona / Artwork by Jamie Schwaba

One of her favorite pieces is a vibrant watercolor painting highlighting two local businesses: The Coffee Camper and Castlerock Sourdough. Located just across the bridge from Winona in Fountain City, Wisconsin, the blue and green camper-turned-coffee shop and classic red barn-turned-bakery sit just in front of a bluff, one of the best natural features of the Driftless, according to Jamie.

While Jamie initially painted this piece as a reflection of the people and places she calls home, it ultimately turned into a much bigger opportunity. When the owners of The Coffee Camper saw Jamie’s work, they fell in love – and decided to commission her original art. Now, Jamie’s designs exist in a larger-than-life format, applied to the side of the shop’s brand-new camper that is permanently parked in Fountain City Community Park.

The Coffee Camper and Castlerock Sourdough in Fountain City, Wisconsin. / Artwork by Jamie Schwaba

Another catalyst for Jamie’s work is a connection to found materials, a joy in incorporating something that already exists with a fresh, new vision. She’ll work on top of unique surfaces like sheet music, maps, and old recipe books, layering watercolors, inks, and other pigments. Working atop these snapshots of history feels collaborative, Jamie says, helping to alleviate the sense of isolation many artists feel while also imbuing rich stories into her work. She enjoys breathing new life into something that has been sitting on a shelf for a while but still deserves to be noticed. It also eases some creative stress.

“One of the best things about working on sheet music is that you already have a title!” Jamie says with a laugh. “The story and tone of the song heavily informs the image I create on top of it.”

One of Jamie’s pieces, an original drawing created on sheet music from the Broadway musical, “Showboat,” was selected for the opening exhibition at the Museum of Broadway in New York City. / Artwork by Jamie Schwaba

One such piece, an original drawing created on sheet music from the Broadway musical, “Showboat,” was selected for the opening exhibition at the Museum of Broadway in New York City. Talk about a full-circle moment: Though her current expressions of creativity look much different now than they did 10-15 years ago, her theatre passions and talents continue to influence.

Beyond its manifestation in her artwork, Jamie’s love of theatre lives on through her son, Seamus, who founded Winona’s community theatre troupe, Sugarloaf Theatre, in 2022. Now that Seamus is away at college, Jamie has taken on the role of executive director. She looks forward to directing an upcoming production of Winnie the Pooh, which will be performed in late February.

Jamie’s artwork has been featured locally at area exhibits and on t-shirts, stickers, and more. / Artwork by Jamie Schwaba

Jamie’s artwork has been featured locally at area exhibits and on t-shirts, stickers, and more at Winona Visitor Center, Winona County Historical Society, and a handful of small businesses in the Driftless. The best spot to keep up with current exhibits and latest projects is on Jamie’s Instagram and Linktree.

Whether she’s painting plein air on a foggy day at a national wildlife refuge or reimagining a favorite ice cream shop while nestled in a cozy corner at home, Jamie Schwaba continues to reflect the heart – and the arts – of the Driftless. It’s creative, community-minded, and full of soul.

As she puts it, “I’m just passionate about the arts in every way. I can’t imagine life without it.”

Clara Wodny

Clara Wodny is a 2025 graduate of Luther College, where she fell in love with the Driftless while studying English and Visual Communications. Currently residing up north in her hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, she works in Aquatics Management at a YMCA and interns with LAMBDA Literary, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture and advocate for LGBTQIA+ Writers.

When planning her cover artwork for this Winter issue of Inspire(d), Jamie knew she wanted to create an original work that captures that very sense of local, comforting, only-in-the-Driftless feeling. Made with ink, watercolor, and soft, blendable pan pastels (applied with makeup sponges!), the piece balances warmth with winter chill.

“The biggest challenge was adding color while still making it feel like winter. I think we landed in a good place.”

Learn more about Jamie Schwaba and her see her current projects at instagram.com/jamieschwaba

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