INTERARTIST JEN HAEFELI LEARNED TO CREATE PINCH POTS WITH
CAROLINA CLAY IN THE GULLY BEHIND HER HOME AS A CHILD. THE
SUN-DRIED POTS USUALLY DIDN’T LAST LONG, BUT EVENTUALLY,
WITH EACH TYPE OF STUDIO ART SHE LEARNED, SHE AMASSED A
PORTFOLIO OF SKILLS. LANDING ON INTERARTS AND BECOMING
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY’S FIRST INTERARTS PROGRAM
GRADUATE, SHE IS RIGHT AT HOME MOVING FLUIDLY BETWEEN
STUDIO PRACTICES. SHE OFTEN MIXES HER MEDIA. DRAWING,
PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND SEWN WORK ARE USUAL SUSPECTS IN
HER CREATIVE SPACES, AND WHEN SHE FINDS OBJECTS THAT BEGIN
TO TELL HER A STORY, A NEW PIECE IS BORN.
JEN IS A DEDICATED EDUCATOR AND ADVOCATE WHO BELIEVES
THESE ARMS OF HER ARTISTRY EMPOWER HER WORK. SHE IS A
MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN ARTISTS,
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. JEN 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.
TRAVEL, MUSIC, MEMORY, AND SOCIAL EVENTS SHAPING OUR
WORLD ARE ALL LACED INTO JEN’S WORK. THE TOW LINE IS HER
SIGNATURE STYLE. REGARDLESS OF THE SUBSTRATE, JEN’S WORK
HAS A UNIQUE DIMENSION-FILLED COMFORT AND WARMTH. HER
HISTORICALLY CONSCIOUS & SOCIALLY RELEVANT PIECES ARE
MADE TO CHALLENGE HER VIEWERS TO SEEK MORE INFORMATION
ON THE SUBJECT MATTER.
JEN BELIEVES WE ARE ALL CREATIVE AND SAYS, “IF YOU HAVE A
GULLY BEHIND YOUR HOUSE, MAKE SOME PINCH POTS. WE CAN ALL
START SOMEWHERE.” SEE HER WEBSITE FOR CURRENT PROJECTS:
WWW.WILDROOTCREATIONS.COM
