Textile artist Janette Knowles’ studio is a space that’s part international café and part ancient apothecary. Sunlight shining in through windows highlights the jars of dried flowers she uses to create natural dyes for her art. Couches and chairs form what Knowles describes as a “funky little impromptu community center.” She hosts friends and reading clubs in the space.
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The studio is two stories and was built three years ago in the backyard of Knowles’ Merion Village home. Her art occupies the second floor, while her husband Sebastian Knowles teaches piano from the first floor.
Much of Knowles’ inspiration comes from growing up on a farm with close ties to the land, the cycles of nature and the idea of not letting anything go to waste. Her artistic approach reflects her vision—all of her dyes come from plants and flowers grown in her garden, and the textiles she works with have been given or donated to her. “Everything you see is taken out of the waste stream,” she says. “The social practice is as important as the stuff I’m making.”
She views her art, often inspired by nature and climate change, as “drops of goodness” that she can share with the world.
This story appeared in the August 2025 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Creative Space: Janette Knowles’ Merion Village Studio Hosts Her Sustainable Art
Reporting by Tim Johnson and Lucy Clark, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
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