Jane Bregoli

Jane Bregoli was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. She began painting at the age of ten. Jane received her BFA in Art Education from Massachusetts College of Art. Her Master’s degree project from UMass Dartmouth inspired her children’s book, “The Goat Lady,” originally published by Tilbury House. Paintings from the book were exhibited at the Heifer Project Overlook farm in Rutland, MA, and in many other galleries. Her oil and watercolor paintings have won numerous top awards in open juried exhibitions. Now retired, she taught art to elementary students in the public school system for twenty years. She continues to be involved in many creative pursuits, including printmaking, ceramics, and oil and watercolor painting. Although Jane does not own any goats, she does have a border collie/beagle rescue dog and a calico cat. Noelie Houle, affectionately known as "The Goat Lady" in the Southcoast area of Massachusetts, became the subject of her artwork for her Master's degree in Painting after moving near her house to attend college. Painting her on her goat farm, Jane realized that the paintings were not enough to capture her interesting life; she also wanted to write about Noelie's life. "The Goat Lady" became a collection of oil and watercolor paintings created for Jane's graduation requirement, and tells the true story of Noelie and her goats. The book has won many awards, including the "Teacher's Choice Award" from the International Reading Association and a "Humane Heroes" Award from the ASPCA. It is included in the SRA Reading program found in elementary schools throughout the US. 'The Goat Lady,' Noelie Houle, had a long association with Heifer Project, an international organization that provides poor people with livestock and bees to help them build a better life.