2008 Woodie Awards
Iowa Hall gallery hosts artwork bursting with 'Small Surprises'
Michael Harvey
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: A&E
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While observing the art of Janet Hart Heinicke at a show, it's easy to pass by the artist unknowingly.
Though she is a small, soft-spoken woman, it's obvious when she speaks that she has spent years refining and improving her talent.
The makings of an artist need not be complicated or tragic and native Midwestern artist Heinicke is an example of that.
Her mother, a county welfare worker, would give young Heinicke scraps of paper and liners from the packaging of her pantyhose to draw on while she sat in the car during home visits required by her mother's job.
Building on these childhood experiences, Heinicke has described herself as "a working artist that has never stopped being a student."
She graduated from Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio and then started teaching. Heinicke worked as an art supervisor for six schools in Goshen, Ind., meeting and teaching about 1,300 students per week.
She continued teaching at a secondary institution in Shaker Heights, a Cleveland suburb, and also at Simpson College in Indianola.
Along the way, Heinicke earned her master's degree in art education from the University of Wisconsin as well as a master of fine arts degree and a doctoral degree in curriculum from Northern Illinois University.
"I'm always learning," Heinicke stated. "In that sense, I'm always a student. I haven't arrived yet."
Her extensive art training and diverse teaching career have allowed Heinicke to develop a large repertoire to use in her art. Not one to limit herself, Heinicke uses calligraphy, serigraphy, lithography and intaglio, as well as other processes to create fine art prints.
Heinicke's talent has been showcased in many anthologies, including "Who's Who of American Artists" and "Who's Who of International Women."
Also a frequent exhibitor, Heinicke has put together more than 70 one-person shows. She has participated in nationally juried shows and in 2005 entered competitions such as Watercolors '05 and the 27th Annual Iowa Watercolor Show.
Globally minded, Heinicke has participated in many international studies and cultural exchanges.
A frequent visitor to Russia, Heinicke described a 1994 trip to Iowa's partner state, Stavropol, Russia as a "life changing experience." She has also traveled to China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and Tanzania.
Officially retired as professor emerita in 2001, Heinicke could not ignore the allure of education. While remaining active in her studio, she taught as adjunct faculty at Simpson College until the spring of 2004. Presently she teaches at Des Moines Art Center and at the Pappajohn Center.
Heinicke's art exhibit, "Small Surprises," will be on display in the Iowa Hall Gallery until Dec. 9. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Though she is a small, soft-spoken woman, it's obvious when she speaks that she has spent years refining and improving her talent.
The makings of an artist need not be complicated or tragic and native Midwestern artist Heinicke is an example of that.
Her mother, a county welfare worker, would give young Heinicke scraps of paper and liners from the packaging of her pantyhose to draw on while she sat in the car during home visits required by her mother's job.
Building on these childhood experiences, Heinicke has described herself as "a working artist that has never stopped being a student."
She graduated from Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio and then started teaching. Heinicke worked as an art supervisor for six schools in Goshen, Ind., meeting and teaching about 1,300 students per week.
She continued teaching at a secondary institution in Shaker Heights, a Cleveland suburb, and also at Simpson College in Indianola.
Along the way, Heinicke earned her master's degree in art education from the University of Wisconsin as well as a master of fine arts degree and a doctoral degree in curriculum from Northern Illinois University.
"I'm always learning," Heinicke stated. "In that sense, I'm always a student. I haven't arrived yet."
Her extensive art training and diverse teaching career have allowed Heinicke to develop a large repertoire to use in her art. Not one to limit herself, Heinicke uses calligraphy, serigraphy, lithography and intaglio, as well as other processes to create fine art prints.
Heinicke's talent has been showcased in many anthologies, including "Who's Who of American Artists" and "Who's Who of International Women."
Also a frequent exhibitor, Heinicke has put together more than 70 one-person shows. She has participated in nationally juried shows and in 2005 entered competitions such as Watercolors '05 and the 27th Annual Iowa Watercolor Show.
Globally minded, Heinicke has participated in many international studies and cultural exchanges.
A frequent visitor to Russia, Heinicke described a 1994 trip to Iowa's partner state, Stavropol, Russia as a "life changing experience." She has also traveled to China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and Tanzania.
Officially retired as professor emerita in 2001, Heinicke could not ignore the allure of education. While remaining active in her studio, she taught as adjunct faculty at Simpson College until the spring of 2004. Presently she teaches at Des Moines Art Center and at the Pappajohn Center.
Heinicke's art exhibit, "Small Surprises," will be on display in the Iowa Hall Gallery until Dec. 9. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.