Janis Mars Wunderlich (born 1970) is a ceramic artist, currently an assistant professor of art at Monmouth College. Wunderlich was born in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

and received a BFA from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

and an MFA from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

. As she raised five children, Wunderlich established an art career both in the gallery and as a professor. As of 2020, she is an assistant professor of art history, ceramics, and art foundations at

Monmouth College Monmouth College is a Private college, private Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Monmouth, Illinois. It enrolls 727 students in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science de ...

Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, W ...

Art

Wunderlich's preferred mediums are clay and printmaking. Her work is a distinctive mix of styles and themes and a special emphasis on motherhood. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the

Ohio Arts Council The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is an agency serving the U.S. state of Ohio. Its offices are in the Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus, Ohio. History Established in 1965, its mission is to "foster and encourage the development of the arts and as ...

and the

Greater Columbus Arts Council The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) is an arts organization in Columbus, Ohio. The council funds artists and organizations in Central Ohio, and hosts the annual Columbus Arts Festival. Building The Greater Columbus Arts Council office is the ...

. She spent a summer in

Dresden, Germany Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

on a residency studying modern and historic techniques of porcelain figurine manufacturing at the Meissen Factory in

Meissen, Germany Meissen ( ), is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden and 75 km (46 mi) west of Bautzen on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, th ...

. She has been featured in ''Ceramics Monthly'', ''The Best of New Ceramic Art'', ''500 Figures in Clay'', and ''Dialogue Journal''. In 2019, Wunderlich premiered her exhibit "Deep" in the

Western Illinois University Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university in Macomb, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. Once West ...

's Heating Plant Annex Gallery. DSF2966

Recognition

She was profiled in a documentary Who Does She Think She Is? about the societal push for women to choose between art and motherhood and the struggle five female artists ( Maye Torres, Angela Williams, Camille Musser, Mayumi Oda and Janis Mars Wunderlich) face in reconciling both parts of their lives. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said of her part in the film, “Janis Wunderlich, on the other hand, seems cheerfully adept at managing five children, a husband and a successful career as a sculptor.”

Personal life

Wunderlich is the mother of five children. Wunderlich is a member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

. She is the step-granddaughter of folk artist

Edwin George Edwin George (1934 - June 30, 2022) was a Cherokee folk artist and muralist. Personal life George was born and raised in Cherokee, North Carolina, in a home that spoke only Cherokee language, Cherokee. He was a member of the sovereign nation of ...

. She is also a Boston-qualifying marathon runner. As she raised her children, Wunderlich located her studio in the corner of her dining room so she was only a few steps from access to her art. She would work in the early mornings, during nap times, and after children went to bed.

References

External links

Janis Mars Wunderlich Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wunderlich, Janis Mars Latter Day Saints from Ohio Living people Brigham Young University alumni 1970 births Ohio State University alumni 21st-century American women artists 21st-century ceramists