Janet Waters, a native of Baltimore, grew up in a family filled with creativity. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and a sizable extended family, all created wonderful and useful things with their hands. They all share in bringing a multitude of skills and sensibilities to her work. By age seven, Janet was designing and making doll clothes based on the styles of the 1950’s. By age eight, she was knitting her first sweater. She continued expanding her skills and interest in creating art and by her sophomore year in college declared her major as studio art.
In 1976, she hung up her artistic hat to pursue a sales and marketing career. During that time, she worked with companies like Revlon and Gillette, domestically and internationally, as well as founding two companies in Atlanta specializing in niche sales and marketing. Janet returned to Baltimore in 1987. By 1991, she had unboxed her old tools and started painting, weaving, and sewing again on weekends as well as learning to quilt.
Since 1994, she has been exhibiting and selling her art quilts in area galleries, museums, and art festivals; has been published in a glorious art quilt book, Spirit of the Cloth and been featured in a Maryland Public Television special showcasing Maryland quilters. Janet has also been featured in articles in The Maryland Life and The Urbanite magazines as well as the Carroll County Times, The Syracuse Post-General, and The Baltimore Sun newspapers.
Collectors of her quilted and yarn work span from the east to the west coast as well as collectors in London, England and Cotonou, Benin; and finally in the permanent collection of James E. Lewis Museum. In 1999, she joined the staff of Baltimore Clayworks holding four positions including Instructor and later Director of Community Arts.
