Janet Taylor Pickett  

Janet Taylor Pickett was born Janet Erline Taylor on August 13^th, 1948 to Ethel Beard Taylor and Dempsey Taylor, Jr., both now deceased.  She lived for 13 years in Ypsilanti Michigan, and then, she and her parents moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Upon her graduation from Ann Arbor High School (now known as Pioneer High), she attended The University of Michigan School of Art and Design.  From there she graduated with a BFA and then went to Graduate School to receive an MFA from the U of M.   She has also studied at Parsons School of Design, FIT, and the Vermont Studio School.

She became supervisor of the Junior Museum of the Newark Museum in 1973.  Then in 1974 she began teaching full time at Essex County College, where she became a full professor.  She is now retired after over 30 years of teaching.  She is now teaching as an adjunct professor at Bloomfield College.  

Janet has a daughter, Samantha Taylor Pickett, an attorney who resides in Los Angeles California. 

Ms. Pickett has been an active member of the art community of Montclair for many years.  She has received many awards and has had numerous exhibitions around the state as well as the country. She has also exhibited internationally.  She has been the recipient of awards from:

·          The Ford Foundation

·         the New Jersey State Council of the Arts

·          the Mid-Atlantic State Arts Council

·          Pilchuck School of Glass artist fellowship

·          The Valpariso Foundation of Mojcar, Spain, as well as others.

·          Her work is also part of private collections, public commissions, The University of Michigan School of Social Work collection, as well as museum collections.   Her most recent group and solo exhibitions are :

o      Transcultural New Jersey:  Diverse Artists Shaping Culture and Communities at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum  -  Volumes one and two of the catalog publication

o      The Monmouth Museum in Threaded Through The Fiber Arts - Culture and Memories

o      The Noyes Museum – Icons, Symbols & Alters

o       The Montclair Museum – Celebrating 90 Years

o      The commemorative  poster for the 30^th Anniversary of the Newark Black Film Festival 2004

o      The Newark Museum Community Gallery – “Art Explores Religion”, and “Growing Up – Childhood in Art” at the Montclair Art Museum September 2003

o      Solo exhibition at The University of Eastern New Mexico in 2004

o      Iandor Fine Arts Gallery  Newark, NJ  2005

o      Solo Exhibition Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA  Jan. 2006

o      Visiting Lecturer Miami Dade College February 2006

o      Gallery 51 Montclair, NJ 2006

o      Appearance on WWOR TV – “Real Talk” Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007

o      “Great Light Way” Giant Light Bulb Public art Commission about energy saving in West Orange, New Jersey

o      WHYY Public Television in PA -  Brandywine Printmaking Workshop Documentary – Began airing August 28, 2007

·          She has also completed a limited edition of hand colored intaglios in an artist’s handmade book called “Me and Matisse” which is now in the collection of the Montclair Art Museum.

·          She has completed three limited edition prints out of The Brandywine Printmaking Workshop in Philadelphia, PA – 2007  From the Middle Passage Series

·          Janet Taylor Pickett is now a member of the board of trustees of The Montclair Art Museum

You may contact her at her website:   www.janettaylorpickett.com where you will find more images of her work.  She also has a collection of fine art cards for purchase, which may special ordered.

She has also be seen creating handmade art cards and her own  designed and embellished “handbags” in a episode of a new series  on HGTV  called ‘Crafters Coast to Coast’ (episode #129),  also  known as “That’s Clever”.  Janet has also appeared in a documentary film called “Working Title:   Exploring the Vocational Identity of the Contemporary American Artist” produced by Phil Lane and directed by Jon Givens of San Francisco, California.  You may visit the website to view a trailer of the film – www.workingtitle.tv – as well as order the DVD.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2006        Northampton Community College, Eastib PA
2004      University of Eastern New Mexico
2002      Bloomfield College – Westminster Gallery, Bloomfield, NJ
2001      Gallery of South Orange, South Orange, NJ
2000      Lafayette College Williams Center for the Arts, Easton, PA
1998      Kent Place Gallery, Summit, NJ
1997      Montclair Art Museum “More Than One Way Home”, Montclair, NJ
1997      Cinque Gallery, New York, NY
1995/96    Jersey City Museum – Book of Embraces - , Jersey City, NJ
1988      Westminster Gallery, Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, NJ
1987      Williams Center for the Arts, Rutherford, NJ
1984      Robeson Gallery, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
1982      Hopkins Gallery, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

2007         Art in the Atrium  –  Morris County Court House, Morristown, NJ 
2006         Newark Between Us – , International Art Invitational, 744 Broad St, Newark, NJ
2005         Art in the Atrium – Morris County Court House, Morristown, NJ 
                Iandor Fine Art Gallery, Newark, NJ
                Essentials  New Door Creative Gallery  Baltimore MD 
2004         Rutgers University, Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Museum - 
                Transcultural NJ Diverse Artists Shaping Culture and Communities 
2004      Monmouth Museum – Culture and Memories Threaded Through the Fiber Arts
2004      Noyes Museum - Icons, Symbols and Alters
2003      Montclair Art Museum – “How the Artist Uses Childhood in their Art”
2003      Newark Museum Community Gallery “Religion in the 21st Century 
2002/03    Art in the Atrium, Morristown, NJ 
2002      Black Fine Arts Annual Exhibition- Puck Building, New York, NY
          Seton Hall University – Walsh Library Gallery, South Orange, NJ
          Nicole Gallery, Chicago, IL
2001      Noyes Museum, Oceanville, NJ 
          City Gallery East, Atlanta, GA
          Black Fine Arts Annual – Puck Building, NYC
          Art in the Atrium, Morristown, NJ
          Valpariso Foundation, Mojacar, Spain
2000      Stedman Gallery, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ
1999      New Jersey State Museum, New Jersey Fine Arts Annual, Trenton, NJ
1998      Ben Shahn Gallery, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
          University Gallery, Montclair State University, Montclair NJ
          Museum of Modern Art, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
1997      New Community Corporation, Black United Fund, Newark, NJ
1996      New Jersey Center for the Visual Arts, Summit, NJ
          Trustman Gallery, Simmons College, Boston MS
          Jersey City Museum,  Drawing Invitational, Jersey City, NJ
1994      Bronx River Art Center, Bronx, NY
1993      NJ Center for the Visual Arts, Summit, NJ
          Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
1992      Bristol- Meyer Squibb, Princeton, NJ
1990      Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
1986      Works Gallery, Newark, NJ
1985      Clock Tower Gallery, New York, NY
1983      First Women’s Bank, New York, NY
1982      Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
          Jersey City Museum, Jersey City NJ
1980      Cinque Gallery, New York, NY
1976      Douglass College Gallery, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
1974      Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY
1972      University of Michigan – African American Center, Ann Arbor, MI
1971      Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI
1968      Jewish Community Center, Ann Arbor, MI

Gumbo YaYa African American Women Artists

More Than One Way Home – Exhibition Catalog Montclair Art Museum Solo             Exhibition 

Various Newspaper Articles, Reviews, Magazines and Exhibition Catalogs New Jersey Star Ledger, New York Times, Montclair Times, etc.

Transculutral  New Jersey:   Diverse Artists Shaping Culture and Communities Vol. 1 & 2

University of Medicine & Dentistry – 100’x8’ Mural “Hands on Healing” 1985-2000
(Now dismantled and in storage) remodeling for new Trauma Center and Medical wing

UMDNJ – School of Osteopathic Medicine Stanhope, NJ  -  
12 48”x60” canvas   banners depicting joy in movement 1994

Johnson & Johnson – Research Facility 
10 48”x60 canvas flags depicting 10 countries flags and designs around each flag  1995

Mid-Atlantic Arts commission 
sponsored by the Montclair Art Museum and New Community Corporation of Newark – outdoor mosaic project 1997 

Morris Museum Play House project 
pre-fabricated “play houses” designed for a children’s  playground  -  2000 

Rutgers University Camden – outdoor sculpture and mosaic project –
stainless steel sculpture and mosaic stepping stones for meditation garden in Camden community 2002

University of Michigan School of Social Work
University of Medicine and Dentistry
Johnson & Johnson
Bristol-Meyers Squibb
Schomburg Center New York City
City of New York/State of New York – Art in Public Places
The Studio Museum of Harlem
Rutgers University
Newark Public Library
Jersey City Museum
Montclair Art Museum 
Zimmerli Art Museum
Morris Museum
Newark Museum
Washington State Arts Commission
Montclair Kimberly Academy – Upper School 
Foundation Valpariso, Mojacar, Spain 
Private Collections