15 Seconds. . . of Fame

This article appeared in the Williamsport (PA) Sun Gazette on Thursday, October 1, 2008 as part of their featured artist series. I think I sound a bit crazy. . . but. . . maybe. . .enjoy. You can also read the article on the Sun Gazette's website. Thanks to Jessica Beaver for her time and effort on this article.
When strolling downtown Williamsport, stop in at Julie's Coffee, 33 W. Third St., and check out the array of artwork created by Valerie A. Jarrett, whose artwork is on display through mid-October.
According to the artist's Web site, Jarrett is an "original visual artist, exploring the beautiful marriage between life and art."
She mainly creates abstract oil paintings on canvas with multimedia collages. Her collages are inspired by other people's words, lyrics, poems and speeches; thus, her tag line is "original art inspired by words."
"I do a lot of cutting of magazine letters, almost like a kidnapper who constructs ransom notices, except I don't kidnap or create ransom letters," Jarrett said.
She added that she also is exploring the use of recycled materials in her art, which means she is using whatever her neighbors are trying to throw out. Currently, she is cutting up antique doors and painting them.
"I really like the change of medium," Jarrett said.
Jarrett, 37, of State College, has lived in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Telluride, Colo., then back to Washington, D.C., and now has found her way back to her hometown of State College.
She is a largely self-taught artist, and although she has dabbled in crayon and paper as a small child, she truly believes she has always had an eye for space and color.
She has been creating art for fun since 2000, but has been doing it professionally since 2004, and has obtained a bachelor's degree in secondary education (social studies) from Penn State University in 1993.
When she was living in Pittsburgh, she met Martha Chaney Ball, an accomplished portrait painter who gave Jarrett her first oil painting lesson and helped her sew on her "artist wings." She said that she is grateful for Ball's trust in her and added that, over the years, she's had amazing opportunities because people trust her.
Jarrett said she creates art because "it feeds my soul. Without it, I am nothing."
She loves to go to art museums and look at the way other artists capture light in their work, but she doesn't have a favorite artist because she likes to learn from them all.
"We are pretty much all in the same artist boat," Jarrett said.
Jarrett is inspired by her parents, who provide an amazingly "thick rope net while she swings around on the trapeze of life." Her brother told her that she was good early on and bought supplies for her, so she could get a jump start into the art scene.
She said, "with all that backing, how can I not be inspired?"
Jarrett's artwork ranges from $50 to $300. Her best works are commissioned pieces where the client gives her a quote or pictures and a price range and they go from there. Her work is personal so working one-on-one with a client provides that special touch.
She has works of art all over the country. Jarrett first started doing pieces for friends when they got married. Needless to say, she has plenty of friends scattered all over the place. But, she's not living off her art and calls herself a starving artist, so she also works for a restaurant (The Allen Street Grill).
This summer, Jarrett had pieces of art in shows in Iowa, Minnesota and Oregon. A piece of art titled "Take Me Out" won first prize at the Centre County Grange Fair in Centre Hall. She also is working on combining her love of baseball (she worked as an usher for the State College Spikes this summer) with her art. She would like to do a baseball art show at a baseball stadium.
"It is not what you know but who you know," said Jarrett as to why she decided to display her art at Julie's Coffee.
She met Britt Hostetler, who is the liaison between artists and Julie's Coffee, this summer. Jarrett has known Hostetler's husband for about two years through her friend Clay. Hostetler saw Jarrett's work at her friend Clay's house and asked Jarrett if she would be interested in showing her artwork at Julie's Coffee. Also, Jarrett's boss (Bryan Bausinger) at the restaurant is a Williamsport native and his mom eats at Julie's often, so through about three degrees of separation "who needs six degrees and Kevin Bacon" said Jarrett, she was in.
Jarrett said she's been around the block; name the job and she's probably done it. She added that she knows that she has to feed her soul and would rather work a job that allows her the time and energy to pursue her art than anything else.
"Art is always being created in my head. I don't really have a choice (to do anything else)," Jarrett said.
Julie's Coffee is open 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.