Jennifer Willet facts for kids

Jennifer S. Willet, born in 1975, is a Canadian artist, researcher, and curator. She teaches at the University of Windsor in the School of Creative Arts. She also holds a special title called a Canada Research Chair in Art, Science and Ecology. Since 2009, Willet has been the founder and director of the Incubator Art Lab.

Early Life and Learning

Jennifer Willet was born in 1975 in Calgary, Canada. When she was in high school, she received a special scholarship. After high school, she went to the University of Calgary. There, she earned her first degree in Fine Arts in 1997.

She then continued her studies at the University of Guelph. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree there. Later, she completed her PhD at Concordia University. Her PhD focused on different areas of Humanities.

During her PhD research, she worked with a group of artists called BIOTEKNICA. She also spent time at SymbioticA in Australia. This was a special place for art and science. Willet also taught art at Concordia University. She also taught at the Art and Genomics Centre in the Leiden University.

Art and Science Career

In 2009, Jennifer Willet started something new in Canada. She created the first lab for biological art. It was called INCUBATOR: Hybrid Laboratory at the Intersection of Art, Science, and Ecology. This lab is at the University of Windsor.

As the director of this lab, she also started BioARTCAMP. This project built a special portable biology lab. It could be moved around like a field research station. This mobile lab held a working science lab. It also had many art and science projects.

The artworks made at BioARTCAMP were shown to the public. They were part of the NATURAL SCIENCE exhibit at Artcite Gallery. In 2017, Willet became a member of the Royal Society of Canada's College. This was because she was an "innovator in the field of bioart." This means she was very creative in mixing art and science.

She was also named a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. This title helps her get funding for her research. Willet used this funding to create the Incubator Art Lab. This lab is located in downtown Windsor.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Willet helped with a virtual art show. This show was put on by the Royal Society of Canada. It explored the challenges people faced during the pandemic. Her art showed pictures of her daily life. In these pictures, she wore a special bedazzled hazmat suit. This art helped people think about shared feelings of fear and being alone.

Willet also received a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. This grant helped her lead online workshops. She also gave creative presentations to people.