JODY WILLIAMS
I like to collect and make little things. Growing up with five brothers and sisters, my family moved around a bit before settling outside of Chicago, so personal space and possessions were always at a minimum. It was also important to hide things. Thinking I might want to study small things in containers, I came to Minnesota to major in Biology at Carleton College. After also considering majoring in English, I decided to major in studio arts because the smell of linseed oil in the Print Shop drove me wild.
Upon graduation, I had no idea what it meant to be an artist, so I went to graduate school in Rochester, New York, originally in metalsmithing, but that linseed oil drew me back to printmaking. Back in Minnesota, printmaking and papermaking led me to the book arts, which also allowed me to use writing and words leftover from those English classes. In making books, little books, I think I finally started understanding what it means for me to be an artist.
