Baker Artist Portfolios

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.

Janet’s early work life was divided between corporate marketing/sales management for companies such as Revlon and Gillette and her love of making art.  Throughout her years of art-making, she delved into jewelry, ceramic sculptures, wearable art, quilted fabric wall hangings, linoleum prints, knitting, leatherwork, and painting (oil, acrylic and watercolor) showing and selling them in private showings, gallery exhibits and festivals like ARTSCAPE.

Collectors of her  work span from the east to the west coast, as well as, internationally with collectors in London, England and Cotonou, Benin; and finally in the permanent collection of James E. Lewis Museum.

Later in her work life, she joined the staff of Baltimore Clayworks in four positions including Instructor and later Director of Community Arts. Additionally, Janet taught art to children and adults through after school enrichment  programs, summer art camps and museum workshops throughout the Baltimore and Washington, DC area. Some of the organizations that hired her to teach include Smithsonian African Art Museum, The Walters Art Museum, The Reginald Lewis Museum, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Child First Authority, Howard County Arts Council and St.Ignatius Loyola Academy.

She now creates watercolors. Her current professional affiliations are Black Art Today Foundation and Directors & Collectors Salon.