A WELL-CAFFEINATED ARTIST. Jen Schultz, a barista at SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar, is also a collage artist. In fact, she even created the cover for the Dec. 3 issue of Volume One!

As the pandemic continues to impact local artists and businesses in Eau Claire, Jen Schultz – a barista and analog collage artist – has found a way to continue both of her passions at SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar, 615 Graham Ave.

“It is such an inclusive community, and everyone is so supportive of each other and welcoming,” Schultz said. “As long as SHIFT is open, I want to be there. The owners are incredible. Our customers are incredible. I feel like I get to work with my friends every day.”

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It is such an inclusive community, and everyone is so supportive of each other.

JEN SCHULTZ

BARISTA AND ARTIST

Despite the ongoing pandemic, and SHIFT’s partial closure from March through August of this year, Shultz said the storefront’s following has stuck alongside the company for it all. “Our customers are incredible,” Schultz said. “Even during the crazy pandemic, our customers have been overall so supportive of our decisions, as for how we have been running everything right now.”

Schultz recently became well-known locally for her analog collage prints. Each print is made by hand and provides an outlet for creative expression, she said. She creates her collages by physically cutting and pasting from images she finds out of old magazines, textbooks, and novels of the pre-1960s era, she said.

An example of Jen Schultz's collage art, taken from her Instagram @robottraveler

“(Collaging) started out of kind of an expression in a very hard time of mine, where I just really needed an outlet,” Schultz said. “My first few collages were not anything to write home about, but it just organically changed over time, where I really loved doing it and really felt like this maybe is for a wider audience than just myself in my home.”

From working on prints for herself in her home to now having a wide selection sold at the coffee shop she works at, Schultz’s collage style has remained true to herself.
Schultz has worked alongside SHIFT to now showcase both framed pieces and digital prints of her favorite collages. She also works on commission and most recently collaborated with the poet Katie Vagnino on a book cover for her latest release, Imitation Crab.

Schultz is currently available for hire on commissioned analog collage pieces, and can be found on her social media as either J. Schultz Art or @robottraveler.

Here is a sneak peek of some of Schultz's artwork...