Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Janet Van Fleet. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Janet, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Probably I’ve always been creative. Even as I child I liked to mess around and make stuff, and throughout my life I’ve found that pretty much everything is a creative act — making costumes for children, cooking, teaching, writing. Once I started being a full-time artist, I’ve been fortunate to be able to make whatever I want. I work in series, so one thing naturally leads to another and when it plays itself out, some new idea takes its place and I run with it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve been a full-time visual artist for 30 years. I was one of the founders 25 years ago of an art center called Studio Place Arts (SPA) in Barre, Vermont, where I have my studio. https://www.studioplacearts.com/
I’ve worked in different media during the course of my career, and right now I’m making sculptures that assemble found and repurposed materials, mostly wood and metal. I recently completed a series of 33 FACES mounted on wooden bases that will be exhibited October, 2024 in the Quimby Gallery at Vermont State University in Lyndon, VT in a two-person exhibit with Larry Bowling called “Putting Our Heads Together”. In December and January I’m having a one-person exhibit of an installation entitled “Movement” at the T.W. Wood Gallery and Art Center in Montpelier, VT.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
A commitment to community and making common cause with others. In addition to working to create Studio Place Arts, I have been a part of an Art Group of nine people that has met (with many of the same members) for over 25 years. Networking with other people in your field, whatever it is, offers feedback, criticism, and opportunities. We can all use the help of others and also can help others. Find a community.
An approach to work that is playful, It should be fun. I am open to trying new things and not being negative about what I’m making, because that squashes creativity. At the same time, you have to know whether things are working or not. Each artist has a unique aesthetic, and over time you learn what makes your work yours. You learn what materials are attractive to you, what scale you are most comfortable with, what colors you employ (I like earth tones, for instance).
Growing and developing in the technical aspects of my work. Over the years, I have become a better craftsperson, making work that is stronger and holds together better both physically and conceptually.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I have found that just doing the work is the best strategy. Almost always when a task seems overwhelming or impossible, or it seems like there won’t be enough time to get something done, if you just force yourself to start, you will get over that first hump and everything works out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.janetvanfleet.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetvanfleet/
Image Credits
First image: Standing in my solo exhibit “Long Haul” at the Alliance for the Visual Arts (AVA) in Lebanon, NH: photo credit R.D. Eno
All the remaining images of my studio I took myself.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
