JEN HAEFELI

ARTIST BIO

InterArtist Jen Haefeli’s multimedia work is influenced by memories. She distills her experiences and pours them into her chosen substrates. Jen works with upcycled items and creates wearable works, sculptures, and fine art. She enjoys the interpretation of the viewer and wants her collectors to own the story, not just the work. Jen is a dedicated educator and advocate who believes these arms of her artistry empower her creations. She is a member of the National Association of Women Artists, Women’s Caucus for Art, Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, Greater Pittsburgh Art Council, Creative York, and Rochester Contemporary Art Center. Jen serves on the boards of both the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Harvest107 in Port au Prince, Haiti. She is a member of the Southwest Pennsylvania chapter of United Way, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. She opened Wild Root Creations in 2008. Behind the scenes, Jen is a mom and she is dedicated to helping prevent disruption due to poverty by helping to improve resources for families to stay intact whenever possible. Jen also partners with organizations working to provide sustainable resources to end global malnourishment. Jen will never give up the hope that all children learn they are worthy of love. Pieces from Jen’s Heart series are often sold at auctions supporting NGO and Non-profit organizations in countries like Haiti and beyond. Jen thanks Master Photographer Marie Sales for her headshot.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I enjoy communicating a story in many ways. I have the pleasure and find enjoyment in exploring the creative process on the blank canvas, a surface that is begging to be transformed. I use tools to translate thoughts and memory via brush strokes, splashes of bold color, drips, and contour to reveal an adventure with color. I present a landscape where shapes emerge and objects are more than obtuse, and deeper than meets the eye. Each has a meaning of their own. The creative process is as important to me as the work's material selection and intention. Why a piece is created is as important to me as where the work will ultimately reside. Art holds the means to communicate throughout a lifetime. It can fuel us and replenish us. It can be cathartic and therapeutic. I enjoy conveying a message, impacting a viewer, and shifting and changing the world in a small way by leaving my mark. One blank canvas can become an entire world to someone. It can hold a universe. That is quite an honor.