JAN SCHOONOVER.  ARTIST.

Jan Schoonover grew up in Merriam, Kansas. Her father’s family came from Schoonhoven, in the Netherlands, giving her artistic talent a Dutch influence. The Schoonovers came to Kansas shortly after Kansas became a state. Her Mother’s family, the Mitchell-Lewins, are direct descendants of Abraham Lincoln. The Mitchells are related to Nancy Hanks (Lincoln’s Mother). The Lewins are Ashkenazi Jews.

Jan’s vision has been shaped by aerial landscapes of Kansas, and microscopic details from the laboratory.  Early artistic influences included as many visits to the Chinese Collection at the Nelson Atkins Museum, as to the wheat fields of western Kansas.  A graduate of the University of Kansas, Jan worked in an Immunology Laboratory while finishing a B.F.A. in painting, and she has an M.F.A. from the School of Art Institute of Chicago with an emphasis in painting and fabric.

Teaching art has been at the center of Jan’s life.  “The passion and creativity that students bring to their work energizes me.  I love all my students, every one of them.”  She has traveled extensively in Europe and Asia; Beijing and Chandigarh are her favorite places.   She was an artist-in-residence at Red Gate Gallery in Beijing and did a documentary film on Nek Chand, the world-renowned outsider artist known for his 60-acre rock garden.

 

 

THE UMBRELLA

As a child, I was fascinated by umbrellas. Umbrellas, purses, hats, and of course shoes. Living in NYC for over 30 years, I noticed umbrellas broken in the rain and wind. They were placed in open, metal trash cans which were on every street corner of the West Village. Umbrella spokes reached out of each trash can and became creatures. Outdoor creatures.
They are tent like and meant for protection. Most are circular, but the number of spokes vary. The circle as a shape has been repeated in my artwork for 40 years. These umbrellas are practical things that turn into Art. Umbrellas are rather cumbersome. What child wants to carry an umbrella? My mom made me carry one as it prevented the rain from coming.
Besides the practical, there is whimsy. All of these umbrellas were broken in the wind of the Kansas Prairie or the heavy fog of San Francisco. Each one is individual like we are all individuals. Umbrellas are little quirky and they like to have fun. Chatting among themselves in this indoor garden, these umbrellas are talking about the weather.

 

PROCESS

GALLERY

ABOUT