Jennifer Willet facts for kids

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

Early Life and School

Jennifer Willet grew up in Calgary, Canada. In high school, she earned a Rutherford Scholarship in 1991–92. After high school, she went to the University of Calgary. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree there in 1997. During her studies, she drew human bodies at the Cumming School of Medicine.

Later, she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Guelph. She also completed her PhD from Concordia University. Her PhD focused on different areas of Humanities. For her PhD research, she worked with an artist group called BIOTEKNICA. She also spent time at SymbioticA in Australia. Jennifer Willet taught art at Concordia and at the Art and Genomics Centre. This center is located at the Leiden University.

Her Work and Art

In 2009, Jennifer Willet started something new in Canada. She created the first biological art laboratory. It is called INCUBATOR: Hybrid Laboratory at the Intersection of Art, Science, and Ecology. This lab is at the University of Windsor. As the director, she also started BioARTCAMP. This project built a portable biology lab. It worked as a field research station. It had a working science lab and many art and science projects.

The art pieces made at BioARTCAMP were shown. They were part of the NATURAL SCIENCE exhibit at Artcite Gallery. In 2017, Jennifer Willet became a member of the Royal Society of Canada's College. This group recognizes new scholars, artists, and scientists. She was chosen for being an "innovator in the field of bioart." This means she combines art and science research in new ways. She was also named a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Art, Science and Ecology.

Jennifer Willet used money from her Canada Research Chair role. She used it to create the Incubator Art Lab in downtown Windsor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she joined a virtual art show. The Royal Society of Canada put on this show. It was about the challenges of the pandemic. Her art showed images of her daily life. She wore a sparkly hazmat suit. This art explored feelings of fear and being alone. These feelings were common when people had to stay home. She also received a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. This grant helped her lead online workshops and creative presentations.