Janice Govaerts

In 1999, while standing in a grove of trees at Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro, California, I envisioned four towers among the trees, completing a circle. It was intriguing to bring this mental image into the physical world. After constructing the first four of the 20 towers which were ultimately made, their first installation was with those trees to complete that circle.

The pod series happened simply as a result of looking closely at a lotus seed pod, I was amazed by the beauty of this very small fragment of the universe. I have used the lotus and other seed pods as reference for sculptural forms.

After retiring as The chief administrative officer of the Torrance, CA Superior Court, Jan Govaerts graduated cum laude from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1991, with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and has never looked back. Her ceramic sculpture and paintings have been shown in NYC, Detroit, Albequerque, San Francisco, Palm Desert, CA, Scopia, Macedonia, and in many galleries in the Los Angeles Area.

Govaerts' work has been featured in several articles, including in Artweek Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Long Beach Press Telegram, Easy Reader,Palos Verdes Peninsula News, Random Lengths, and Artspeak, New York.

Govaerts' work reflects her deep connection with the earth. Her 6' tall towers of coiled clay have been likened to trees, termite mounds, stalagmites, and the towering hoodoo rock formations of Utah. Other ceramic sculpture includes her seed pod series and current stone series. Four of her towers are at the Junior Art Center in Barnsdahl Art Park in Los Angeles.

Govaerts is past president of the Board of Directors of Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro,Ca and is now teaching ceramics at the Center. Govaerts founded the Loft Studios and Gallery in San Pedro and she and her seven studio mates have been instrumental in starting a lively arts scene in historic downtown San Pedro.