Lunchtime Lecture: Noelani Jones

At my school, the art department invites professional artists to come and speak to us during our lunch period about their experiences in the art world. This wonderful opportunity is called a "Lunchtime Lecture". We just recently had the first Lunchtime Lecture of the 23-24 school year last Friday, and I loved it! We were visited by Noelani Jones, who is a "community-building Fiber Artist". She is passionate about strengthening communities and individuals through art and a deepening appreciation for the natural world.

From this lecture, I learned about Noelani's journey in her weaving; how she learned about it, why she went to art school, how she works as a part-time weaver, and what inspires her. She went to art school at VCU and took a weaving class every year, which is special because VCU typically requires that you take new courses every year to broaden your expertise, but Noelani was certain she wanted to do weaving in her future as an artist. She has used her weaving to decorate buildings, bring together communities, and has had her work displayed in several professional art shows. She has held classes to teach others to weave as well. Noelani is inspired by nature, and she recommends taking a walk to appreciate your surroundings if you ever feel a lack of inspiration.

This lunchtime lecture was actually the first one I ever attended, and it was great! Whenever I meet new artists it always amazes me just how many forms of art I still don't know about. I loved hearing about Noelani's experience, and how she uses art to bring her joy. She explained that right now, she is attempting to learn how to make art for her own enjoyment, rather than for others'. This part really spoke to me, because I too struggle a lot with learning to relax and simply make art for me, rather than what I think other people will like. I struggle with this partially because most of the art I make is for a grade in school, but also because I have a tendency to put others' interests above my own, which is a habit I'm trying to break! I loved how open Noelani was, and it made me feel comforted to hear that it's normal to struggle with these things. I tend to overthink my work and try to implement as many symbols and hidden meanings as possible, but Noelani lets inspiration strike her, she doesn't spend too much time sitting and worrying about if this piece will speak to others, she just makes what speaks to herself. Her artistic process is incredibly laborious, and I am amazed by her dedication. To just set up the floor loom she works on takes 8 hours! I feel so inspired by her as an artist, and I can't wait to implement some of these skills into my upcoming projects!