JANICE PROVOST

ARTIST STATEMENT

Janice Provost: Chef/Restaurateur, Francophile, and Student of the Beautiful Things in Life

 Janice Provost is the Proprietor of Parigi, a 39 year old restaurant in Dallas, Texas.  She began as a prep cook at Parigi, and worked her way up through the ranks, eventually buying the neighborhood bistro, 24 years ago.

 Born in Houston, Janice was raised in a family that placed an importance on farming, and agriculture.  She grew up with chickens, geese, ducks, bees, and an appreciation for all living creatures.

 A self-proclaimed Francophile, Janice enjoys traveling to France whenever possible.  She and her husband love to shop the local markets, and enjoy cooking in “their apartment” in Paris.   The culture, architecture, food, and beauty seen everywhere you look in Europe, is what draws her back again and again.

 On a recent trip to Paris, Janice took that appreciation of beauty to a new level when she accidentally took a photo of three Parisian men in a sidewalk café.   When she looked at the photo closer,  a spark was lit, and  her journey of looking at people, places, lighting, and situations with more of an artistic eye began. 

 While the images Janice captures are typically everyday people, doing everyday tasks, there is something about them that leaves you wanting more.  It is as if you want to know who the person is, what they are talking about, what they are thinking-- what is happening in their lives at that particular moment.  In other words, her photos tell you a story.

 “I am a student of beauty.  Whether it is plating a beautiful dish or capturing a beautiful moment of life, I love finding that moment and running with it.”