Biography

 Her sleek, hard-edged sculptures reflect Rosetta's life-long love of creating in three dimensions, a passionate pursuit of excellence, inspiration from the concepts of power, nobility and beauty in nature, and the ability to capture the fluid life force of her animal subjects.

A fellow of the National Sculpture Society and member of the Society of Animal Artists, the Northwest Rendezvous Group and American Women Artists, Rosetta has won awards from these organizations as well as from the Allied Artists of America, Bennington Center for the Arts, Pen & Brush, Inc. and the Bosque Conservatory Art Council, among others.

Exhibitions include solo shows at the Brevard Museum of Art and Science in Melbourne, FL, Indiana University, Southwestern Michigan College, Southern Oregon State College and Gallery Americana in Carmel, CA, and group shows at Brookgreen Gardens, Meguro Museum of Art in Tokyo, The Smithsonian Institution, National Academy of Design, National Museum of Wildlife Art, North American Sculpture Exhibition, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, California Museum of Art, J.N. Bartfield Gallery in NYC, Albuquerque Museum of Art and "Feline Fine" traveling exhibition.

Commissions include the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in WI, Brookgreen Gardens in SC, MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Hewlett-Packard, Chapman University in CA, Florida Institute of Technology, ArtWorks in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), The Shops at Walnut Creek (shopping center) in Westminster, CO and the cities of Steamboat Springs, CO, Loveland, CO, Lakewood, CO, and Dowagiac, MI.

Support for Conservation: 

Rosetta is a passionate artist and conservationist who has donated her sculptures in support of various conservation organizations including the African Wildlife Foundation, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Rare Species Conservation Foundation, Felidae Fund and the private wildlife preserve, Shambala, along with local animal rescue organizations, for the purpose of fundraising. Further, Rosetta often donates financially to many conservation and wildlife organizations under her married name, Jan Schockner.

The November 2015 issue of World Wildlife ran a profile of Rosetta's support for that organization:

"Jan Rosetta Schockner can’t recall exactly where or when her love for animals started, but she’s made them her life’s work. An accomplished artist who works under the name Rosetta, Jan specializes in bronze wildlife sculptures and has taken several trips to Africa to see the animals she loves in the wild. She supports several organizations, including WWF, and has further committed herself to conserving animals and their habitats by joining WWF’s Legacy Circle—a group of people who help protect the future of nature by including WWF in their estate plans.

What is it about animals that inspires your work?
In 1984, I did my first animal sculpture, a seated cheetah. I started studying and learning about the various animals I was interested in, mostly big cats. And I realized that so many people had misinformed perceptions of these majestic animals. My sculptures allow me to change those perceptions and show lions, cheetahs, wolves, and other wildlife for the beautiful, powerful, sentient and innocent animals they are. As predators, they do what they need to do—to survive. For the balance of nature. They are truly fascinating creatures. The juxtaposition of their beauty and ferocity captivates me.

You’ve been to Africa five times since 2000. Do you have a favorite memory from the time you’ve spent there?
I have a special place in my heart for cheetahs. During our most recent trip, we were out with a guide in Tanzania on the Serengeti and spotted a mother cheetah with her three cubs. I’d seen cheetahs before but this time was different. As we watched, the mother got up, walked to an old termite mound and jumped up on top to survey the landscape. Her cubs followed, climbing all over her and each other. She was working surrounded by her children who were only interested in play time. It was a magical moment that affected me and my work. So much so that I preserved the experience in a sculpture called ‘Single Mom.’ 

Why is supporting WWF important to you?
I’m grateful that organizations like WWF are out there fighting the good fight. Supporting WWF is one way I participate in the very important work that has to be done to protect these animals and their habitat. I hope that my sculptures help in some way too. I make each sculpture in the hopes that it serves as an inspiration for others to cherish these creatures as I do."

Special Achievements: 

2016 - NWR "President's Choice Award" for "Breaking Trail"
http://thebrintonmuseum.org
Three years after their last show in Montana, on August 5th the Northwest Rendezvous Group had a reunion in Big Horn WY for their new “Bighorn Rendezvous” show and sale at the Brinton Museum’s impressive and beautiful new Art Museum building. Rosetta was honored to receive the “President’s Choice Award” for sculpture, selected by the president of the NWR and the Director of the Museum, for her “Breaking Trail” running wolf sculpture. The honor topped off a very successful show and sale, “quick draw” and auction which generated hopes for a long, ongoing relationship with the very professional and welcoming staff at the beautiful Brinton Museum for future “Bighorn Rendezvous”.