“The process of creating truly and completely captivates me. To be inside that place, with the complete focus of my energy, is one of the most cherished gifts I have in my life.”

Jan Henkelman Bennett is the daughter of an artist and a university professor. She has a BS degree in Dance from Connecticut College, and a Master’s Degree In Education. Originally trained in the performing arts, she acquired many of her visual art skills indirectly through her study of dance, music and theater. All have common elements of composition - line, shape and space, melody and movement, passion, color, and voice. Her training and childhood background have both greatly influenced her creative process.

As an art teacher, a classroom teacher, and as a parent, Jan shares her love for fiber and textile arts through classroom demonstrations, creative projects, and professional collaborations with students and families. In 1988 she created a curriculum for the National Association of Independent School’s Curriculum Bank entitled, “Quilting in the Classroom: Promoting Self-Esteem.” She also spoke on this topic in various locations in the Washington area. In her most recent commissioned educational project, forty fifth grade students collaborated with her in the creation of a 12 panel framed art quilt which is permanently installed in the school’s media center.

The inspiration for Jan’s work comes from the people and issues she cares about. She makes quilts in order to meditate on, and then express her ideas and beliefs. She has made quilts to honor and celebrate personal friendships, as donations for fundraising efforts, as collaborations with other artists and students, and as private commissions. In addition to quilts and textile collage she creates and sells jewelry and art to wear for children and adults.

Jan’s work has been shown in a variety of local venues, including the Washington Project for the Arts New Artists Invitational Auction & Show at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC, The Creative Crafts Collection Juried Show at Strathmore Hall Arts Center in Rockville, MD, Gallery Neptune -- formerly Little City Art Studio in Bethesda, MD, and The National Woman’s Resource Center in Alexandria, VA. In addition, Jan’s art has been represented in local juried Artist Markets  & Fine Craft Shows. Her work has been acquired by several private collections in this area, as well as California.

Jan lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband, two children, and two dogs. She is currently the art teacher at Concord Hill School, an independent school for young children in Chevy Chase, MD and can be contacted at jbennett@concordhill.org.