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 the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

and received a BFA from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

and an MFA from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

. 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 Presbyterian liberal arts college in Monmouth, Illinois. Monmouth enrolls approximately 900 students from 21 countries who choose courses from 40 major programs, 43 minors, and 17 pre-professional programs in a ...

in Monmouth, Illinois.

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. History Established in 1965, its mission is to "foster and encourage the development of the arts and assist the preservation of Ohio's cultural heritage." Each year it awar ...

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: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth la ...

on a residency studying modern and historic techniques of porcelain figurine manufacturing at the Meissen Factory in Meissen, Germany. 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. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. History Western Illin ...

'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'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' 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 nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

. 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