Artist Jan ter Weele was born in Groningen, The Netherlands. Jan came to the U.S. in 1940 as a refugee, the oldest child in a family fleeing the occupation of his native country. He has studied at Maine College of Art, Massachusetts College of Art, Honolulu Academy of Arts, and the Art Students League of New York with John Hultberg, Peter Golfinopoulos, and Cornelia Foss.