Jennifer Mettlen Nolan was raised on a farm in central Kansas near the rural community of Sylvan Grove. The visual textures of the land and the people who live there are major influences on her ceramic sculpture and jewelry. Her work also reflects her belief that the people�s lives are shaped by the decisions and experiences of their ancestors, no matter how many generations removed. Jennifer�s work illustrates in a narrative fashion those situations and elements of her family�s past, as well as her own life choices and experiences, which have contributed to the formation of her own identity. She uses historical and personal images to portray individuals and events in her own unique style.
Jennifer is an active member of the Kansas Artist and Craftsman Association, the National Council on the Education of the Ceramic Arts and the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. Her work has been exhibited in several state, regional and national juried exhibitions including the Materials: Hard & Soft show in Denton, TX, the Smokey Hill Art Exhibition in Hays, KS and the Propaganda Show, Lubbock, TX among others. She has been published in two books, 500 Glass Beads and 1000 Rings. She attained her MFA at Fort Hays State University in 2006, and is currently teaching jewelry and ceramics at Dodge City Community College. |
