Janie Milstein

Biography

Janie Milstein (b. Dallas, TX) received her BA in Literary Arts from the University of Texas, Dallas. She continued her academic studies in the Fine Arts and Design at El Centro College, Brookhaven College, both in Dallas. After moving to New York City Janie furthered her education at the Art Students League of New York, where she was awarded the annual Scholarship of Merit. 

She was selected for the Tower 49 Invitational exhibition by Bruce Dorfman (2006). She participated in the Small Works exhibition in the Manhattan Borough President’s office in New York, NY (2012); Women of the League at AT Kearny Company, New York, NY (2012); her work was selected for the Seventh Annual NoHo ArtWalk, New York, NY by Juror Harriet Fields (2010); and for the Spring Brush Show at the Pen & Brush in New York, NY by Juror Pamela Koob (2008).

Janie's solo exhibition, Reflections on the Grid, curated in 2012 at Saint Peter’s Narthex Gallery in New York, NY, featured both mixed media sculptural constructions and line drawings. 

After twelve years of living in New York City, Janie returned to her native state of Texas. She resided first in Austin, where she was a founding member of the Artist Group at Canopy and Artists 916, fostering growth in the burgeoning artist community.  She now lives and is a working artist in Dallas, Texas.

Artist statement

The inspiration for my work is found in the temporal world, in both organic and man-made environments. Especially in the patterns created by humankind and those formed by nature. The shifting interplay of light, shadow, and color of the natural world, seen through the prism of mood and memory, provides moments of surprise and excitement. Texture and color are paramount. My work usually focuses on structural lines, clean angles, abstracted urban elements, and how they are enmeshed with natural surroundings.

I often use found materials and torn paper, substrates that come to me or take shape through some factor of chance or spontaneous happening. Fabric, string, mesh, plastic, wire, and wood frequently play key roles in my work. These materials are rarely pristine; they’re often rough around the edges, irregular, raw, and unrefined. This idea is inherent within the deep layers that dominate some of my work, as well as within their uneven physical constructions. By combining these disparate elements into three-dimensional, architectural, and often sculptural works, I strive to convey a moment in time, a sense of place, a flash of mystery, or a glimpse of beauty.

Currently, my life experiences are taking my work in a new direction. I’m excited to explore the artistic paths yet to be traveled! Stay tuned!