Po' Girl
In Concert

Friday, November 2
7:30 P.M.
~ Coconino Center for the Arts ~

Tickets
$15/advance and $20/day of show
Online:  Flagstaff Cultural Partners website
Phone:  (928) 779-2300
Outlets: Arizona Music Pro and Cedar Music

Purchase Po' Girl Concert Tickets securely online:

Tucked away in the pines on the east side of Flagstaff is Janet Schultz's home and studio.  Her home, built for her and her husband, is modern with open spaces and stone floors.  In a separate building, her studio, called Janet's Quilt House, is a historic house that was moved to its current site from downtown Flagstaff in the late 1970s.  Spacious and light, she has made it into a fabric-dyeing, pattern-sewing, quilt-stitching workspace.  On the walls, her many quilt series hang, revealing the progression of her artistic ideas over the years, based on her experiences and travels.

The juxtaposition of man's influences on nature has been a consistent theme in Schultz's work.  Having worked on her projects at different locations, Schultz has been exposed to this relationship between man and nature, and began looking at shapes and landscapes with a "different eye".

Working with James Turrell at Roden Crater, outside of Flagstaff, Schultz was intrigued at how manmade lines are superimposed on the landscape.  Manmade features such as fences, roads, and cement walls "cut up" the natural lines of the landscape.  When I asked if this "imposition" was a positive or negative thing in her view, Schultz explained that it is neither.  She sees these impositions as a step in the evolutionary process.  Humans have just as much of a right to live in the world as other species and all species attempt to control the environment based on their own needs.  She used beaver damming as an example of how an animal disturbs the natural processes of water flows.

She believes that history shows us that nature often perseveres.  Typically, a natural disaster brings the earth back to natural order.  Using the example of the recent flooding in New Orleans, man's imposed barriers didn't hold and the earth's forces re-established their presence.  Schultz doesn't view this as a positive or negative relationship; evolutionary processes will continue to shape the relationship into the future.  This notion of man's and earth's lines constantly fighting with each other is a recurring theme in her artwork.

Schultz's philosophies are not politicized.  She finds the relationship between man and nature genuinely interesting.  This comes from her work with on the Roden Crater project as well as other influences. 

Schultz has studied topographical maps to understand natural lines.  In many of her quilts, she creates geometrical and linear patterns to represent man's lines and then stitches precise topographical maps overtop the units of color and pattern.  She uses authentic maps blown up to size when stitching the natural lines.

Some examples of this technique are in her hayfield series.  Schultz participated in an artist-in-residency program in 2005 at the Jentel Foundation in Wyoming.  Schultz became "totally enamored" watching the colors change over the hayfields throughout different times of day during the month.  Schultz began painting her fabric to represent the different hues of light on the hayfields. 

She has taken photographs of staircases at Roden Crater and is fascinated by the lines she sees in the different angles of the stairs.  She finds the jagged edges both intriguing and frightening, depending on how one looks at them.

Schultz has a "live in the present" attitude.  She recognizes education, expression, collaboration, and travel opportunities as "other kinds of currency" as they benefit her in ways that money cannot.  She and her husband are grateful for what they have and take advantage of the opportunities they have made for themselves.  This attitude is also apparent in her approach to quilting.  She doesn't start with a big agenda; rather, she uses improvisational techniques.  She creates fiber elements to see how they might fit into the big picture, allowing the whole concept to develop throughout the process.

Currently, Schultz is working on her Crater View series from images of Roden Crater.  Flagstaff Cultural Partners is delighted to have the visionary work of Janet Schultz in the It's Elemental exhibition at the Coconino Center for the Arts which opens November 17th, 2007.


Contact Janet Schultz by email.  For more information about the It's Elemental exhibition (see article above), please visit our website. Artwork images: top - "Crater View 5"; bottom: "Colorlines 44: Ying-Yang"; both by Janet Schultz.

By Elizabeth Vogler

As November approaches, one can't help but get excited about the upcoming holiday season.  The Flagstaff community has several holiday events that bring everyone together to share the spirit.  Fun community events such as the Parade of Lights, the Winter Wonderland Tree Lighting, and performances of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker provide the opportunity for locals to come together during the holidays. 

Flagstaff Cultural Partners and the City of Flagstaff are collaborating to bring another fun event to the community in the form of a contest.  Flagstaff's Gingerbread Village is open to families, individuals, and businesses to work together to make a gingerbread house or building to be included in the village.  The village will be housed at Flagstaff City Hall throughout the month of December and will be open to the public for viewing.

Entries are now being accepted!  Pick up an entry form at City Hall or at the Coconino Center for the Arts or download it from our website.  Individuals and families can enter their creations for $25.00; businesses pay $50.00 (and you can include your business logo); and classroom/student groups are free!  Prizes will be awarded for each category.  The dimensions can be no larger than 16 inches in both width and depth.  All materials used must be edible! 

Entries must be dropped off at City Hall on November 29th, 2007, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.  The village will be ready for public viewing by December 1st, 2007.  From 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. a reception will be held at City Hall with snacks and refreshments!  The reception corresponds with the Winter Wonderland Tree Lighting at Wheeler Park, which also takes place from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Bring your family to see the lighting and then head over to City Hall to view the village! The village will be open to the public during regular business hours 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday throughout December, and will also be open during First Friday Art Walk on December 7th.

Start baking with your family or business and encourage your children's schools to get involved on the classroom level!  This fun-filled event can bring the community together for the holiday season!  We hope you get involved and we can't wait to see you at the unveiling on December 1st, 2007 at City Hall!  Enjoy the fall season, but get ready for winter in Flagstaff!  Happy Holidays!

For more information, contact Elizabeth Vogler.