Ms. Catherine Avery St. Jean

Catherine Avery St. Jean grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, the oldest of eight in the Avery family, where art was the most affordable and most beloved pastime. She studied art for two years before switching to communications, earning her BA from Loyola University in Chicago. She later received a Masters degree in Childhood Education from the City University of New York.

She went on to build a 32 year career in advertising and marketing working on Madison Avenue. After retiring to St. Augustine, she returned to her roots, painting and writing. She became a Lifetime Member of the St. Augustine Art Association. In 2022 she was elected to the Board of Directors and in 2025 was named president.

Catherine served for eights years as St. John's County Library Advisory Board and plays a leadership in organizing the Ancient City Poets Fest. She is the author of Haiku Odes to Artists, Hailku Odes to St. Augustine, and a children's book titled A Staten Island Ferry Tale. Her latest books are based on Ekphrastic poems, After Vincent:Painting with Words and Secrets Revealed: Ekphrastic Poems of Masterpieces, both books explore fine art, letting language do what what the art started.