In 1891 Janet Scudder left Indiana (birthplace) to continue her sculpture training at the Art Institute of Chicago.

She worked as an assistant to sculptor Lorado Taft (1860-1936), who employed several female sculptors known as the "White Rabbits"

Her admiration for the latest works of the French school of sculpture led her to cross the Atlantic to pursue her training in Paris.

She was among the first Americans to devote herself to bronze ornamental fountains.

She created at least thirty fountains as commissions for the homes of wealthy Americans. These included "Piping Pan" (1911) for John D. Rockefeller, "Shell Fountain" (1913) for Edith Rockefeller McCormick, and other works for Henry Huntington

In 1912, a feature article in the New York Times described  Scudder as "one of the foremost woman sculptors of America”.

She became involved in the women's suffrage movement in New York in 1915 and was a member of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association. She was also a member of the art committee of the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and in 1920, was elected an associate of the National Academy of Design.

Scudder's art was exhibited at numerous national and international exhibitions from 1893 to 1937, as well as in public museums throughout the United States.

Currently, works by her are included in the collection of important museums such as the Metropolitan Museum (New York) and Musée d'Orsay (Paris)