JEAN COLLIER HURLEY

Jean Collier Hurley creates photo essays that capture the vibrant pulse of urban living in major cities in the United States and abroad. She is currently engaged in exploring the distinguishing elements of the 20 distinct boroughs that make up the 344 Square miles of Berlin, drawn by the depth of its history and the vibrance of its contemporary culture. In Urbanista Playbook Jean illuminates the signage, window reflections, and architecture that surround and beckon to urban dwellers.

She has also explored the deeper meaning of the demolition and transformation of architectural elements. Hard Hat Country, Jean’s 2017 photo journey into the renovation of the Prologis Global Headquarters on Pier One in San Francisco, became a story about the progressive transformation of the historic pier by the world’s leader in logistics real estate. The shattered remains of a beloved neighborhood church became Holy Ground Forever, a meditation on inevitable loss and the rituals of comfort and grief.

Jean’s knowledge and vision continue to evolve through her active presence in major cities in the United States and abroad and in formal courses and master classes with accomplished figures in the arts. Her recent studies include urban design at Stanford University, book design at the Rhode Island School of Design, and street photography in New York City and Paris with a noted photojournalist.

Jean was a 2015 Inaugural Fellow in the Stanford University Distinguished Careers Institute. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Stanford University and an MBA in Finance from the University of California Berkeley. At home in San Francisco, she is actively engaged in supporting contemporary art and design and the performing arts. Her philanthropic interests focus on initiatives that provide aid to the world’s most vulnerable populations. She is an avid runner and an enthusiastic patron of artisanal coffee houses.