"Woman with Wavy Hair"
Oil on Wood | 15x12 in
$2,354
31 artworks by Joyce Owens (Selection)
Download as PDFOut of the Box series • 31 artworks
These paintings are dramatic renditions of the black middle class men and women shown in photographs[...]
These paintings are dramatic renditions of the black middle class men and women shown in photographs during the Paris Exposition in 1900 only 35 years after Emancipation from American slavery! Although not a secret, this historic segment of the American population is not widely acknowledged. There is a depth to our African American ancestry that we need to be able to build on; the wooden box is a symbol that can both hold the truth and tell the truth. I utilize my drawing and painting skills to represent these people, our family heirlooms.
The works range in size and the boxes have various depths. They are found, purchased and handmade wood boxes. I show them singly, but preferably in groups. They stack or hang from the wall. They cross the boundaries of sculpture and painting. The medium is acrylic paint.
The works range in size and the boxes have various depths. They are found, purchased and handmade wood boxes. I show them singly, but preferably in groups. They stack or hang from the wall. They cross the boundaries of sculpture and painting. The medium is acrylic paint.
"Woman With Brooch"
Oil | 13x11 in
$2,354
"Out of the Box Woman in Fur-trimmed coat"
Painting | 7x4.5 in
Sold
"Out of the Box Woman Wearing Earring"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Man in Vest"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Man in Striped Tie"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Woman in Pleated Blouse"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box series: Woman with Topknot"
Painting | 8.8x5.8 in
Sold
"Woman in Shirtdress: Out of the Box series"
Acrylic on Wood | 20.5x12.5 in
$2,404
"Out of the Box Man in White collar"
Painting
Sold
"Man with Parted Hair"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Woman in high necked dress"
Painting
$1,354
"Out of the Box Woman with Long Tied Scarf"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Man in Print Tie"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Woman with Large White tie Blouse"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box series: Woman in plaid dress"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Man in Plain Tie"
Oil | 16.5x10.5 in
$2,354
"Out of the Box: Woman With Flower Button"
Painting | 14x13 in
$1,354
"Out of the Box Woman in Fancy Shoulders"
Painting | 7.4x7.4 in
Sold
"Woman in Draped High Neckline"
Painting | 12x10 in
Sold
"Out of the Box Woman with White tie Blouse"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box series: Man with white collar/striped tie"
Painting | 24x13.8 in
$2,654
"Out of the Box Woman "
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box series: woman in striped blouse"
Painting | 14x13.5 in
$1,654
"Out of the Box series: Woman with Chignon"
Oil | 6.6x4.1 in
$2,354
"Out of the Box Woman with Large White Tie/ Large version"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box Woman in Apron"
Painting
Sold
"Woman with Hoop Earing"
Painting | 13x10.3 in
Sold
"Out of the Box Installation view"
Painting
On Request
"Out of the Box Woman in Topknot"
Painting
Sold
"Out of the Box series: Woman in Striped Blouse"
Painting | 15x13 in
Sold
Recognition
Editor's Pick
The artist's works have been noticed by the editorial staff
The artist's works have been noticed by the editorial staff
Professional Artist
Exercises the profession of artist as a main activity
Exercises the profession of artist as a main activity
Biography
Ragdale Fellow Joyce Owens is a painter from Philadelphia, now residing in Chicago, who creates 3-D and 2-D masks/assemblages and paintings. Her award-winning art has been exhibited on four continents, including NATO in Brussels, The African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Monrovia, Liberia; Mbabane, Swaziland and in a traveling exhibition, "I American", curated by Sergio Gomez that was shown in a museum in Italy, among other exhibitions, including national exhibitions from coast to coast. Some commissions include: the Blackstone Hotel and the Sofitel Hotel in Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center's "Not Just Another Pretty Face", TV show host/journalist Ed Gordon, and others including a recent portrait of Gwendolyn Brooks for the library named for Brooks at Chicago State University and Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Princeton Chair of African American Studies.
Owens has earned two 1st Prizes at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago from artist Faith Ringgold and Margaret Hawkins, Artnews correspondent. The two competitions had the most submissions in the history of the 25 year old gallery. Owens was awarded 1st Prize at the Museum of Science and Industry's annual Black Creativity art exhibition, among other accolades.
Owens'earned an (MFA) from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and BFA, from Howard University in Wash., D.C. Some faculty who influenced her at Yale were Lester Johnson and Bernard Chaet, William Bailey and Al Held as well as musician Willie Ruff. While at Howard University she studied with preeminent African American artists and scholars who influenced her including David Driskell, the late internationally known Lois Mailou Jones, sculptor Ed Love who was Owens’ mentor until his premature death, historian and painter Dr. James Porter and print-maker and painter, James L. Wells. California artist Leo Robinson was an important guide during undergraduate years as was Lloyd McNeill.
Known as a figurative artist deciding the most important work she can do is to address issues around race and gender.
Owens left her position as curator and associate professor at Chicago State University to pursue art full-time.
-
Nationality:
UNITED STATES
- Date of birth : unknown date
- Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
- Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary American Artists
Influences
Education
No data available yet
Artist value certified
No data available yet
Achievements
No data available yet
Activity on Artmajeur
Last modification date : Jun 26, 2023
(Member since 2005)
Image views: 565,682
Artworks by Joyce Owens added to favorite collections: 243
Latest News
All the latest news from contemporary artist Joyce Owens
Added Mar 13, 2018
U.S.A. Today article "Amazing Art is Better Than a Museum", includes my commission
The Blackstone Hotel has played a prominent role in Chicago’s storied history since it opened more than a century ago, playing host to presidents, royalty, celebrities and even gangsters.
With an impressive art collection featuring more than 1,600 contemporary works of art, the luxury hotel continues to create a colorful legacy as a cultural destination in itself. In fact, it rivals some of the city’s most prestigious museums.
"The Blackstone has always been supportive of the artist community," says General Manager Kim Corrigan. "Its Beaux-Arts design is a work of art itself, and a dedicated art gallery was built within the original walls of the hotel upon its completion in 1910. Located on the Cultural Mile, it is only natural to bring this artistic spirit and creative culture to life every day for our guests and associates alike."
Committed to spotlighting Chicago and its local artists, the Blackstone Hotel recently commissioned new pieces to specifically represent the hotel, and made art the focus of both its public and private spaces. There is something interesting and beautiful to see everywhere you look, from the paintings in the lobby to the guest room key cards and do not disturb signs.
"What’s really special is that this world-class artwork isn't in a gallery or museum space," said Katherine Sharp of Nine dot Arts, who helped curate the project. "This is truly bringing art to the public, and that’s so important because people aren’t going to galleries the way they once did. The Blackstone is supporting artists in the best way possible: by actually buying their work for the hotel’s permanent collection and putting it on display for everyone to enjoy."
You can take a self-guided tour of the public pieces and relax with a drink at the unique Timothy’s Hutch. You’ll be able to sit and admire works like Painter by Celeste Rapone, which is placed prominently in the lobby to immediately put the importance of the art into focus.
But nothing beats staying at this iconic hotel and taking the elevator one story at a time to explore the different works of art that greet you on each floor.
Here are ten pieces you really need to see in person:
Painter by Celeste Rapone | Lobby
Artist by Celeste Rapone — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Celeste Rapone draws from themes of Dutch Golden Age painting, like portrait and still life. She loves to work with patterns and bold, often garish color palettes.
The artist in Painter doesn’t seem engaged in what they’re doing, which makes you want to know more about them. Rapone’s portraits are often referred to as “pretty” because the composition and color are on point but something is definitely off.
Portraits are expected to be beautiful, and this portrait hanging prominently in the lobby lets you know you’re in for lots of surprises as you explore the Blackstone’s art collection.
Orchid Stack VII by Stephen Eichhorn | Art Hall
Orchid Stack VII by Stephen Eichhorn — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Stephen Eichhorn has taken ikebana and floral arranging to a completely different level with his stunning series of orchid-based hand-cut collages.
They’re gorgeous from a distance, but the closer you get, the more awestruck you’ll be by his fluid, intuitive composition and the patterns, themes and textures he explores with such intricate detail.
The Blackstone Chronicle by Eric Garcia | 6th floor
The Blackstone Chronicle by Eric Garcia — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
You can learn so much about The Blackstone’s history through the graphic art of Eric Garcia.
Imbuing street art style with a historical perspective, he depicts The Blackstone’s reputation as “The Hotel of Presidents,” its place in movies like The Color of Money, its namesake, Timothy Blackstone, and its former owner, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He doesn't leave out one of the hotel's most colorful guests, Al Capone, who used to hold meetings while getting his hair cut in the hotel’s windowless barbershop.
Neon Classic by Andrew LeMay Cox | 9th floor
Neon Classic by Andrew LeMay Cox — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Known for his renditions of paintings from influential artists throughout history, Andrew LeMay Cox has reinvented an Anthony Van Dyck portrait of Mary Villiers.
Deconstructing the themes of traditional Baroque art to satisfy contemporary standards of beauty, he dramatically changes the color palette and makes us look at the piece in an unexpected way.
Cooler by the Lake by Joyce Owens | 10th floor
Cooler by the Lake by Joyce Owens — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Painter and sculptor Joyce Owens is a figurative artist whose work addresses issues around race and gender.
Her style of portraiture is more narrative, and is very much about sharing a story. Cooler by the Lake features a Chicago landscape in the background and two fictional characters based on Lena Horne and Nat King Cole, both of whom were frequent guests of the hotel and who represent the Blackstone’s jazz history.
Brutalized Gainsborough by Chad Wys | 11th floor
Brutalized Gainsborough by Chad Wys — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Chad Wys’ signature collages juxtapose the old with the new. The woman in this piece may be dressed in period style clothing, but the addition of the brush marks immediately makes it a contemporary work. The big, gold, sculptural frame continues to play on this theme.
Although the hotel tried to get a commissioned piece from Wys, he said he couldn’t make any art in the new political climate. For that reason, Brutalized Gainsborough is one of the few works in the Blackstone that is a poster rather than an original piece of art.
R: 8:54; C: 15:51; L: 14:56 by Michelle Litvin | 12th floor
R 854; C 1551; L 1456 by Michelle Litvin (12th floor) — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Architectural photographer Michelle Litvin spent 24 hours in The Blackstone, documenting the architectural details that are unique to the hotel and to Chicago.
So much of the original building’s architecture was preserved, and in this triptych, Litvin captures a fireplace in a guest suite, a chandelier in the Grand Ballroom and a window in the English Room. The title is the time stamp of each of the three photos.
10BEST
Celebrating female innovators at the Racine Art Museum
Vandal Gummy Bear by WhIsBe | 14th floor
Vandal Gummy by WhIsBe — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Al Capone was sentenced to prison on October 17, 1931, and street artist WhIsBe pays homage to that infamous date with this irreverent piece, which is part of his Vandal Gummy Bear series.
The anonymous artist, whose name is short for What Is Beauty, creates prison mugshots of the sweet and much-loved candy bear holding an identity card to spark discussion and get people to explore their preconceptions.
Chicago Flamingos by Katarzyna Krol | 17th floor
Chicago Flamingos by Katarzyna Krol — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Katarzyna Krol pays homage to Chicago’s legendary architecture with this charcoal and pastel drawing.
Her whimsical illustrations reveal the inspiration behind the 53-foot-tall Alexander Calder stabile which stands proudly on Federal Plaza. Often referred to as simply “the big red statue,” Krol ensures you will never forget its name.
Ideas Filled the Air by Matthew Hoffman | 21st floor
Ideas Filled the Air by Matthew Hoffman — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
A picture may be worth a thousand words but Matthew Hoffman, the artist behind the three million “You Are Beautiful” stickers distributed around the world, uses both to create powerful statements.
This wood piece was commissioned for the hotel, and was inspired by Suite 915 where Republican leaders once met secretly to nominate Warren G. Harding as their party’s presidential candidate. The suite is popularly referred to as "the smoke filled room," thanks to an AP reporter who described the scene of the secret meeting.
http://www.10best.com/interests/hotels-resorts/the-blackstone-hotels-amazing-art-collection-is-better-than-a-museum/
Added Mar 13, 2018
Blackstone Hotel art collection , "Better than a Museum", includes Joyce Owens
The Blackstone Hotel has played a prominent role in Chicago’s storied history since it opened more than a century ago, playing host to presidents, royalty, celebrities and even gangsters.
With an impressive art collection featuring more than 1,600 contemporary works of art, the luxury hotel continues to create a colorful legacy as a cultural destination in itself. In fact, it rivals some of the city’s most prestigious museums.
"The Blackstone has always been supportive of the artist community," says General Manager Kim Corrigan. "Its Beaux-Arts design is a work of art itself, and a dedicated art gallery was built within the original walls of the hotel upon its completion in 1910. Located on the Cultural Mile, it is only natural to bring this artistic spirit and creative culture to life every day for our guests and associates alike."
Committed to spotlighting Chicago and its local artists, the Blackstone Hotel recently commissioned new pieces to specifically represent the hotel, and made art the focus of both its public and private spaces. There is something interesting and beautiful to see everywhere you look, from the paintings in the lobby to the guest room key cards and do not disturb signs.
"What’s really special is that this world-class artwork isn't in a gallery or museum space," said Katherine Sharp of Nine dot Arts, who helped curate the project. "This is truly bringing art to the public, and that’s so important because people aren’t going to galleries the way they once did. The Blackstone is supporting artists in the best way possible: by actually buying their work for the hotel’s permanent collection and putting it on display for everyone to enjoy."
You can take a self-guided tour of the public pieces and relax with a drink at the unique Timothy’s Hutch. You’ll be able to sit and admire works like Painter by Celeste Rapone, which is placed prominently in the lobby to immediately put the importance of the art into focus.
But nothing beats staying at this iconic hotel and taking the elevator one story at a time to explore the different works of art that greet you on each floor.
Here are ten pieces you really need to see in person:
Painter by Celeste Rapone | Lobby
Artist by Celeste Rapone — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Celeste Rapone draws from themes of Dutch Golden Age painting, like portrait and still life. She loves to work with patterns and bold, often garish color palettes.
The artist in Painter doesn’t seem engaged in what they’re doing, which makes you want to know more about them. Rapone’s portraits are often referred to as “pretty” because the composition and color are on point but something is definitely off.
Portraits are expected to be beautiful, and this portrait hanging prominently in the lobby lets you know you’re in for lots of surprises as you explore the Blackstone’s art collection.
Orchid Stack VII by Stephen Eichhorn | Art Hall
Orchid Stack VII by Stephen Eichhorn — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Stephen Eichhorn has taken ikebana and floral arranging to a completely different level with his stunning series of orchid-based hand-cut collages.
They’re gorgeous from a distance, but the closer you get, the more awestruck you’ll be by his fluid, intuitive composition and the patterns, themes and textures he explores with such intricate detail.
The Blackstone Chronicle by Eric Garcia | 6th floor
The Blackstone Chronicle by Eric Garcia — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
You can learn so much about The Blackstone’s history through the graphic art of Eric Garcia.
Imbuing street art style with a historical perspective, he depicts The Blackstone’s reputation as “The Hotel of Presidents,” its place in movies like The Color of Money, its namesake, Timothy Blackstone, and its former owner, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He doesn't leave out one of the hotel's most colorful guests, Al Capone, who used to hold meetings while getting his hair cut in the hotel’s windowless barbershop.
Neon Classic by Andrew LeMay Cox | 9th floor
Neon Classic by Andrew LeMay Cox — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Known for his renditions of paintings from influential artists throughout history, Andrew LeMay Cox has reinvented an Anthony Van Dyck portrait of Mary Villiers.
Deconstructing the themes of traditional Baroque art to satisfy contemporary standards of beauty, he dramatically changes the color palette and makes us look at the piece in an unexpected way.
Cooler by the Lake by Joyce Owens | 10th floor
Cooler by the Lake by Joyce Owens — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Painter and sculptor Joyce Owens is a figurative artist whose work addresses issues around race and gender.
Her style of portraiture is more narrative, and is very much about sharing a story. Cooler by the Lake features a Chicago landscape in the background and two fictional characters based on Lena Horne and Nat King Cole, both of whom were frequent guests of the hotel and who represent the Blackstone’s jazz history.
Brutalized Gainsborough by Chad Wys | 11th floor
Brutalized Gainsborough by Chad Wys — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Chad Wys’ signature collages juxtapose the old with the new. The woman in this piece may be dressed in period style clothing, but the addition of the brush marks immediately makes it a contemporary work. The big, gold, sculptural frame continues to play on this theme.
Although the hotel tried to get a commissioned piece from Wys, he said he couldn’t make any art in the new political climate. For that reason, Brutalized Gainsborough is one of the few works in the Blackstone that is a poster rather than an original piece of art.
R: 8:54; C: 15:51; L: 14:56 by Michelle Litvin | 12th floor
R 854; C 1551; L 1456 by Michelle Litvin (12th floor) — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Architectural photographer Michelle Litvin spent 24 hours in The Blackstone, documenting the architectural details that are unique to the hotel and to Chicago.
So much of the original building’s architecture was preserved, and in this triptych, Litvin captures a fireplace in a guest suite, a chandelier in the Grand Ballroom and a window in the English Room. The title is the time stamp of each of the three photos.
10BEST
Celebrating female innovators at the Racine Art Museum
Vandal Gummy Bear by WhIsBe | 14th floor
Vandal Gummy by WhIsBe — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Al Capone was sentenced to prison on October 17, 1931, and street artist WhIsBe pays homage to that infamous date with this irreverent piece, which is part of his Vandal Gummy Bear series.
The anonymous artist, whose name is short for What Is Beauty, creates prison mugshots of the sweet and much-loved candy bear holding an identity card to spark discussion and get people to explore their preconceptions.
Chicago Flamingos by Katarzyna Krol | 17th floor
Chicago Flamingos by Katarzyna Krol — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Katarzyna Krol pays homage to Chicago’s legendary architecture with this charcoal and pastel drawing.
Her whimsical illustrations reveal the inspiration behind the 53-foot-tall Alexander Calder stabile which stands proudly on Federal Plaza. Often referred to as simply “the big red statue,” Krol ensures you will never forget its name.
Ideas Filled the Air by Matthew Hoffman | 21st floor
Ideas Filled the Air by Matthew Hoffman — Photo courtesy of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
A picture may be worth a thousand words but Matthew Hoffman, the artist behind the three million “You Are Beautiful” stickers distributed around the world, uses both to create powerful statements.
This wood piece was commissioned for the hotel, and was inspired by Suite 915 where Republican leaders once met secretly to nominate Warren G. Harding as their party’s presidential candidate. The suite is popularly referred to as "the smoke filled room," thanks to an AP reporter who described the scene of the secret meeting.
http://www.10best.com/interests/hotels-resorts/the-blackstone-hotels-amazing-art-collection-is-better-than-a-museum/
Added Mar 13, 2018
Dreaming Bigger in Strange Times, curator and exhibiting artist/Nov. 11-Dec.16, 2017
CHICAGO —Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is proud to present ‘Dreaming Bigger in Strange Times,’ opening on Saturday, November 11th through December 16, 2017. The final exhibition during WMG’s 25th Anniversary year, it is the second exhibition at WMG’s new location in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Chicago-based artist Joyce Owens is the curator for the exhibition including works by 17 women artists from diverse backgrounds and working in a variety of styles and media.
Featuring women artists currently residing in the Midwest, this invitational exhibition intentionally strives to reflect the independent thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears around the strangely volatile world we find ourselves inhabiting since the last election. The women, working in a wide range of art mediums, represent diverse ethnic and ancestral backgrounds. Many express their political, social, religious and ethnic beliefs through their work. After all, America has welcomed immigrants promising them freedoms they were denied at home from the first meal at Plymouth Rock. Others were not welcomed under equal circumstances, to put it mildly, and others who were here first got the worst surprise as payment for their original kindness. The focal point that speaks to each artist shows up in their work in subtle and/or overt ways that you will see if you look. Their artist statements will provide more insight. Neighborhoods in Chicago (and other cities around the world) are generally homogeneous, despite desegregation. This powerful group of artists will demonstrate that diversity makes us stronger! -Joyce Owens
Exhibiting artists: Joanne Aono; Rose Blouin; Arlene Turner Crawford; Anne Farley Gaines; Abi Gonzales; Patricia Larkin Green; Indira Freitas Johnson; Felicia Grant Preston; Kim Laurel; Nora Moore Lloyd; Joyce Owens; Jane Stevens; Lynn Tsan; Kathy Weaver; Shahar Caren Weaver; Rhonda Wheatley; and Trish Williams.
Curator: Joyce Owens
Ragdale Fellow Joyce Owens is a painter and sculptor with an MFA degree in painting from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and a BFA from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She was curator and associate professor of painting and drawing at Chicago State University. She has been the curator for numerous exhibitions including: The David and Reva Logan Center at the University of Chicago; The Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago; Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL; The Art Center in Highland Park, The Noyes Cultural Center, Evanston, IL; The Southside Community Art Center and others. As an arts panelist she has developed discussion topics for Columbia College Chicago, The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The School of the Art Institute, The Carver Museum in Austin, Texas, Nicole Gallery in Chicago; Bradle University in Peoria, IL, and the South Side Community Art Center, and she has been the juror for Black Creativity at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; The Old Town, Wells Street, and the DuSable Museum art fairs. Owens is associate editor for The Journal of African American History and has had her art and writing published in books and journals. For more information visit: http://www.joyceowens.com
https://womanmade.org/artwork/dreaming-bigger-in-strange-times/
Added Mar 13, 2018
Joyce Gordon Gallery
406 14th St Oakland, California Call (510) 465-8928
Friday
2
March
2018
Sunday
18
March
2018
Solo show
Added Jan 15, 2018
"Dreaming Bigger in Strange Times" curator and artist
https://www.facebook.com/womanmadegallery.1992/photos/pb.121967861183071.-2207520000.1512513016./1662975903748918/?type=3&theater
Added Jun 16, 2016
Tempo.Memoria: Daring to Dream Again.
MEDIA The media of the MIIT are the international magazine "Italia Arte", dedicated to art, culture and international excellences of "Made in Italy", published in Italian and English version to reach the main foreign interlocutors (depending on
Friday
8
July
2016
Saturday
20
August
2016
My idea back in 2005 or so was to put a black face on a Renaissance painting to illustrate that the white aesthetic originates (and is perpetuated) through art. That African Americans when not shown in positive visual images in paintings, photographs and movies, etc., will not exist in history except as how others choose to represent us.
The Renaissance inspired figure wears an African mask. What if African culture were as revered internationally as European culture and its imagery? Would people of the African Diaspora be better accepted and considered universally beautiful? Would the standard for physical beauty be dark skin and eyes, curly hair and a broad nose? Group invitational in Turin, Italy features 25 artists. All works are 24"x24". The one below is "Revealed: Truths and Myths" #7.
Added Apr 25, 2016
Joyce Owens' portraits represent life's ups and downs
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20130608/News/306089892
By Leslie Renken
Joyce Owens' "Retro-racing Picasso #5," a sculpture made of wood, copper and acrylic, is on display at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria.
Joyce Owens' creativity can't be confined to a single medium. A talented painter, she adds elements of collage to both her painting and her sculptures, and some of her paintings have very sculptural characteristics.
But even with the diversity of style, there is one word that can be used to describe all her artwork - they're all portraits, images of people. For Owens, it all comes down to human beings.
"Where do the problems come from? Who can solve the problems? It's all about choices, to me anyway," said Owens during a recent interview from her Chicago home. Owens, who has a master of fine art from Yale University, is an art professor and curator at Chicago State University. She has won numerous awards and has shown her work extensively in the U.S. and overseas.
"Joyce Owens: Retrospective" will be at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria through June 28. The show features mixed media paintings, sculpture, and a series called "More than Skin Deep" which, through the clever use of folds, turns painted canvas into a sculptural experience.
When queried if she wrinkles the canvas before or after painting, Owens laughs. "Everybody asks me that question. Art is supposed to make you think, if that's what people think about, that's OK - I love it."
Owens likes to be challenged by her work, and painting canvases after they've been intricately folded is certainly challenging. But the folds also have connotations which give the work not only literal dimension, but figurative dimension as well.
"The folds represent life - life isn't smooth. If we were a chart it would be up and down, and then down more, and then way down, and then up," she explained. "The paintings are like life - it's not perfect."
The wrinkles also hint at the many dimensions in the human personality.
"All you know about me is what I'm telling you, but there are other layers to me," said Owens. "So the folds on the canvas represent the obstacles that we have to overcome, we have to learn to overcome the bumps."
Many of life's bumps are caused by false assumptions people have about each other.
"In the "More than Skin Deep" series I'm applying it to race. I've done other series where I'm trying to get people to look beyond the surface of human beings," said Owens. "Basically we're all pretty much the same. The range between human beings of different ethnic groups is very minimal. We really are all humans, and we bleed red blood - all of us do."
Owens didn't begin her career thinking she would focus on issues of gender and race, but as an African-American woman, it's a topic she simply couldn't avoid.
"I don't think there was ever a time when I didn't experience something sort of racial," Owens said. In the mid-1960s Owens was chosen to be the art editor on the school yearbook at the predominately white high school she attended in Philadelphia. She submitted artwork for the selection process, and with a name like Joyce Owens, she believes the teacher didn't know until he met her that she was African American. After meeting her he tried to choose a different student for the job, and when Owens' parents stepped in, Joyce volunteered to share the role with the other student - the two girls were friends.
"My feeling was that it was not necessarily because I was black, but because I wasn't Jewish," said Owens with a laugh.
As an adult living in Chicago's predominantly white Lincoln Park, Owens often experiences subtle - and sometimes not-so-subtle - moments of racism. It's only natural for the issue to surface in her work.
"I'm not a racist-sort-of-civil-rights-human-rights person, but I like to, in a very nice kind of way, I want you to think about this stuff," she said.
Owens' work often highlights historical aspects of the African-American experience not commonly known.
"The figures and faces are sometimes portraits from history that I publish in accessible forms for people who are not historians and may not know about African-American history beyond slavery, poverty, and the Civil Rights struggle," said Owens in her artist's statement.
Figures and faces are all woven together in Owens' work as a way to show the interconnectedness of all human beings.
"My hope is that - well, I think that it's stupid that we don't get along," said Owens.
While issues of race are addressed in Owens' work, they are not the only ideas related. For Owens, art is a way of working out problems.
"My work changes as I change," said Owens. "From self-centered toward looking toward the future. When I was pregnant I drew a lot of pregnant people. . . . When my mother died, I drew people underground, sort of coming apart. That was my sadness - artists channel what they cannot see."
While Owens' art often presents ideas that inspire thought, the artist says she works intuitively - she doesn't plan the subject matter out ahead of time.
"With art you don't know exactly what you are going for until you have done it, and then you have to sit down and think about it," she explained. "As much as art school helps you to learn how to mix colors, and about linear perspective . . . you have to use those skills in your own personal way. You have to learn to trust your instincts."
The artist has had years to tune into her intuition and hone her skills. She knew when she was in third grade that she wanted to be an artist, and she came from a family of creative people for which art was a way of life. And while she hasn't always earned her living making art, she's always made art.
"I tell people that I don't need special conditions to make art," said Owens. "I don't need to be in the right mood or have special music. I'm an artist, and I make art. I don't know what made me an artist - I just do it 'cause I can't stop myself."
If you go
- What: "Joyce Owens: Retrospective," artwork by Chicago-based artist Joyce Owens.
- When: Through June 28. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 8:30 p.m. on Fridays.
- Where: Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, 305 SW Water St., Peoria.
- For more information visit artcentr@mtco.com, or www.joyceowens.com.
Leslie Renken can be reached at 686-3250 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter, @LeslieRenken, and subscribe to her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.
Jump to comments
Comments
Login with:
Added Apr 25, 2016
Paul Klein feature in Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-klein/diasporal-rhythms_b_4119269.html
Added Apr 24, 2016
Intent as Content, solo exhibition by Joyce Owens at Cultivator Arts Gallery
Cultivator 4636 North Ravenswood #204, Chicago, Illinois 60640pin Chicago, Illinois 60640
Sunday
24
April
2016
Tuesday
26
April
2016
Owens exhibits works that explore her continuing interest in race; she addresses the theme from many perspectives and mediums.
Added Feb 12, 2015
Footprints through Time invitational
James R. Thompson Building Chicago Gallery 100 West Randolph Chicago, IL 2nd floor
Monday
2
March
2015
Friday
10
July
2015
"Footprints through Time" exhibition runs March 2 - July 10. 2015. It is a group exhibition by artists who address history through their work.
Added Jun 10, 2013
Joyce Owens Retrospective at Contemporary Art Center, Peoria, IL
305 SW Water Street Peoria, IL 61602 309-674-6822 [email protected] www.peoriacac.org Hours: Tues., Wed. Thurs., Sat. 11am-5pm Fri. 11am-8:30pm
Saturday
11
May
2013
Friday
28
June
2013
Exhibition of paintings, assemblage, 3D sculpture and more by Joyce Owens from 2003.
Added Dec 26, 2012
Curator "State of G/RACE" exhibition in Chcago at Woman Made Gallery
865 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Friday
9
November
2012
Sunday
23
December
2012
The 25th anniversary of Sapphire and Crystals at Woman Made gallery was bittersweet. Marva Jolly, one of the co-founders with Felicia Grant Preston died suddenly right before we opened. Sixteen artists participated, curator, Joyce Owens with the support of Beate Minkovski, Ruby Thorkelson and staff to make the exhibition a success. We added a Fine Art Holiday market that also had good results, with a screening of a documentary on the deceased member by Shuli Eshel.
Sapphire and Crystals:
Sapphire and Crystals is a collective of professional African American women artists. The artists decided to self-determine when, where and with whom they exhibited. Focusing on the aspect of collaboration, the women artists are committed to showcasing exciting new work for each exhibition. They often perform all tasks leading up to an exhibition, including curating, designing postcards and catalogs, prepping and installing the art and publicity and promotion. The group’s signature self-portrait silent auction during the opening reception presents affordable collecting opportunities for visitors on the first night only. The individual personal work by each member addressing various themes such as race and gender, limited palettes, and honoring our pasts, exemplifies the diversity within our ethnic group, one of the missions of the group. The collaborative site-specific installation is an exhibit feature distinct to this collective.
The collective's first exhibition was held at the historic South Side Community Art Century (SSCAC) in 1987; the group revisited the center’s Margaret Burroughs Gallery in the fall of 2010. The second exhibition in 1988 was held at Nicole Gallery in Chicago’s River North. The African American women artists returned to Nicole Gallery 21 years later in 2009. The group has exhibited at Elmhurst College's Frick Center, The Noyes Cultural Center in Evanston, IL, ARC, Woman Made, and Artemisia and many other galleries and art centers within the city and beyond.
Membership in Sapphire and Crystals is decided by existing members. We require that artists have begun seriously pursuing art on their own. Marva Pitchford Jolly and Felicia Grant Preston conceived of the idea of the organization that has included Annie Lee, Margaret Burroughs, Geraldine McCullough, Renee Townsend, Anna M. Tyler, Shirley J. Sullivan, Dorian Sylvain, Candace Hunter, Rhonda Wheatley, Shahar Caren Weaver, Shyvette Williams, Renee Williams Jefferson, Pearlie Taylor, Dorothy Carter, Joanne Scott, Makeba Kedem DuBose, Patricia Stewart, Venus Blue, Lillian Morgan-Lewis, Dorothy Carter and others. We bring in a few new artists on a regular basis who may show their works once or twice, and some artists have participated in multiple exhibitions over the past 25 years. We recently were honored by two public art works: at the National Museum of Mexican Art in 2010 six of us constructed an ofrenda to Dr. Margaret Taylor Burroughs, and currently the Chicago Public Art Group and the Hyde Park Art Center honoring the group with a mural showcasing selected artists in Hyde Park under the 51st Street viaduct. –Joyce Owens
Curator: Joyce Owens
Owens earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. A professor of painting and drawing at Chicago State University, she also curates for the two on-campus galleries. Owens has been sought out to jury fine art exhibitions and art fairs at the Museum of Science and Industry, The DuSable Museum, Woman Made Gallery, the Women's Caucus for Art and The New East Side Art Fair to name a few. She has been a curator for many successful shows and an arts facilitator/consultant putting together artists with events. Owens is a knowledgeable arts panelist who has also developed discussion topics for galleries at Columbia College in Chicago, The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The School of the Art Institute, The Carver Museum in Austin, Texas and more. Owens serves on the Advisory Committee for the Department of Cultural Affair’s Chicago Artists Month since 2002. She consults with the Chicago Artists Coalition, and is on the Advisory Board of Woman Made Gallery in Chicago. Owens is an associate editor for "The Journal of African American History."
Added Apr 22, 2012
Visions of our 44th President.
Friday
20
July
2012
Wednesday
1
January
2014
Visions of Our 44th President is a collective sculptural show created to recognize and celebrate the historical significance of the first African American President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. Select Contemporary Black Artists, renowned and emerging, were invited to literally "Paint the President" and to participate in this avant-garde art collaboration with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Peter Kaplan. Dynamic and inspiring, the exhibit will include 44 artists' interpretations of our 44th President in three-dimensional form. In essence, the sculpture is a blank canvas upon which each artist can imaginatively celebrate the man, our history, and the collective journey to his presidency.
Artists include Barkley Hendricks, Charly Palmer, Melvin Clark, Louis Delsarte, Tamara Natalie Madden, Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, Kevin Cole, Najee Dorsey, Ted Ellis, Tyrone Geter, Paul Goodnight, Tyree Guyton, Kadir Nelson, Joyce Owens, Gale Fulton Ross, Cory Saint Clair, Preston Sampson, Felandus Thames, Mamie Willis, Preston Jackson, Philemona Williamson, Dayo Laoye, Shirley Woodson and others.
Added Apr 22, 2012
25 Women Artists selected by curator Dolores Mercado
Governor's State University campus.
Friday
9
March
2012
Friday
30
March
2012
Exhibition Dates: March 9 - March 30, 2012
Closing Reception:
Wednesday March 28
5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
25 Women Artists
25 Years of Women's History Month
Guest Curator: Dolores Mercado, National Museum of Mexican Art
Artists:
Pilar Acevedo
Lynn Basa
Jennifer Cronin
Jessica Freudenberg-Segal
Esperanza Gama
Paula Henderson
Juliette Herwitt
Laura Kina
Vera Klement
Sarah Krepp
Judy Ledgerwood
K. A. Letts
Bernell Loeb
Sioban Lombardi
Rosanna Mark-Andreu
Renee McGinnis
Betty Ann Mocek
Elsa Munoz
Martina Nehrling
Joyce Owens
Miriam Socoloff
Sue Sommers
Erin Waser
Maureen Warren
Kathleen Waterloo
Contact: Jeff Stevenson, Gallery Director, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University
www.govst.edu/gallery
Added Apr 22, 2012
Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare: As They Like It
2407 W. 111th St.
Friday
17
February
2012
Sunday
1
April
2012
Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare: As They Like It
Curated by: Anne Farley Gaines, Robert Kameczura, Maureen Warren
The Beverly Arts Center
2407 W. 111th St.
Chicago, IL 60655
February 17th - April 1st
Opening: February 25th 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
ARTISTS
Jose Agustin Andreu
Diane Levesque
Rene Arceo
Carron Little
Tim Arroyo
James Mesple
Sharon Bladholm
Geoffrey Novelli
Keith Brownlee
Christine O’Connor
Mario Castillo
JOYCE OWENS
Laura Coyle
Mary Patton
Michael Ferris
CORINNE D. PETERSON
Chris Flynn
Tom Scarff
jonathan franklin
Charlotte Segal
Anne Farley Gaines
Beth Shadur
Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Steven Sherrell
Sergio Gomez
Eleanor Spiess-Ferris
Fletcher Hayes
Michelle Stutts
Alan Emerson Hicks
Frank Tumino
Preston Jackson
Maureen Warren
Robert Kameczura
Kathy Weaver
Deborah Maris Lader
Marzena Zielka
Kim Laurel
Jill Zylke
Richard Laurent
Added Apr 22, 2012
740 E. 56th Pl. Washington Park
Wednesday
1
October
2008
Monday
1
December
2008
The Citizens' Picnic: Lynching in America From 1865 to the Present
Visual art, essays, and poetry showcasing "America's legacy of lynching."
DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 56th Pl. Washington Park
phone 773-947-0600
dusablemuseum.org
Added Apr 22, 2012
Press release
My art practice is literally figurative. I paint portraits on wood, wood boxes, paper and canvas. I produce mixed media constructions from found and other objects and collage on canvas. The various methods, materials and mediums sometimes determine what I will express. The range of ideas that I am attracted to, mostly around race and gender issues, can take many forms.
The figures and faces that I paint are often portraits from history that I want to publish in accessible forms for people who are not historians and may not know about African American history beyond slavery, poverty and the Civil Rights struggle. I also work with multiple, overlapping faces and bodies that form their own patterns, an idea around the interconnectedness of humanity that is clearer and clearer as we experience similar crises on a global scale. Some portraits are hidden in plain sight, either as masks or people-populated landscapes on canvas. Always, these faces express my interest in the underexposed images in American history.
Embracing my ancient ancestry, I have been making my own version of masks that at once give a nod to the traditional culture of the motherland, Africa, while revealing the modern universality of African traditional art that invigorated the art practice of my European ancestors. As we know they were greatly affected by the African indigenous art and artifacts they saw in museums after colonialism. I mostly use wood and metals along with acrylic paints in my 3-D. Improvisation influences my painting method, moving me to approach my canvas not absolutely certain where I am going, until arriving, having the goal of producing a portrait or figure that I don’t fully “see” it until I finish.
My art practice continues to be an adventurous exploration, in truth it is a search for me in many ways and a conversation with the viewers. I hope those who see my work will find a bit more of undiscovered humanity.
The figures and faces that I paint are often portraits from history that I want to publish in accessible forms for people who are not historians and may not know about African American history beyond slavery, poverty and the Civil Rights struggle. I also work with multiple, overlapping faces and bodies that form their own patterns, an idea around the interconnectedness of humanity that is clearer and clearer as we experience similar crises on a global scale. Some portraits are hidden in plain sight, either as masks or people-populated landscapes on canvas. Always, these faces express my interest in the underexposed images in American history.
Embracing my ancient ancestry, I have been making my own version of masks that at once give a nod to the traditional culture of the motherland, Africa, while revealing the modern universality of African traditional art that invigorated the art practice of my European ancestors. As we know they were greatly affected by the African indigenous art and artifacts they saw in museums after colonialism. I mostly use wood and metals along with acrylic paints in my 3-D. Improvisation influences my painting method, moving me to approach my canvas not absolutely certain where I am going, until arriving, having the goal of producing a portrait or figure that I don’t fully “see” it until I finish.
My art practice continues to be an adventurous exploration, in truth it is a search for me in many ways and a conversation with the viewers. I hope those who see my work will find a bit more of undiscovered humanity.
Added Jan 5, 2012
Interview about Bobby Sengstacke exhibition. Andre Guichard conducts interview.
Added Jan 5, 2012
A Touch of the Poet
4626 N. Knox
Friday
5
March
2010
Sunday
2
May
2010
The IAHC presents a group art exhibit, A Touch of the Poet this spring at the IAHC. Artist Laura Coyle is the curator of the exhibit.
As many as 40 artists create art based on the work of an Irish writer. The art is mixed media, including paintings, sculptures and photography. Keeping with the literary theme, the artists’ incorporate a verse or passage of the writer they choose.
Writers whose work will be featured by the artists include: William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Jonathan Swift, Darrell Figgis, Seamus Heaney, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis and Katharine Tynan.
Some of the artists participating in the exhibit are: Gena Pepich Andreasen, Catherine Crane Bath, Bart Bjorneberg, Sharon Bladholm, Alan Brunettin, Ray Cavanaugh, Laura Coyle, Frank Crowley, Barbara Robertson Domino, Ken Gold, Saren Thorne Hauser, Fletcher Hayes, Tim Hurley, Virginia Hurley, Layne Jackson, Karen Jacobsen, Robert Kamezcura, Donna June Katz, Kathy Kelly, Pauline Kochanski, Deborah Maris Lader, Kim Laurel, James Mesple, BettyAnn Mocek, Megan Murphy, Dennis O’Malley, Laurin D. Notheisen, Mary K. O’Shaughnessy, Joyce Owens, Joel Pace, Corinne D. Peterson, Judy Robins, Tom Robinson, Beth Shadur, Keith J. Taylor, Charlie B. Thorne, Loralyn Kumlin Tornheim, George Weissler, Charles Van Guilder and Jill Zylke.
A Touch of the Poet is Friday, March 5 through Saturday, April 3, 2010. There will be a free opening night reception on March 5 from 6-9pm. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm or by appointment. To make an appointment, call Frank Crowley at 773-612-6584.
Added Jan 5, 2012
Two + Two = Preston, Jackson, Williams and Wheatley
Thursday
2
February
2012
Friday
23
March
2012
Four Chicago-based artists present an expansive range of art in this exhibition, which kicks off during Black History Month. Preston Jackson, professor
of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, delves into the nation’s past through depictions of well-known individuals and innovative portrayals
of less familiar figures who none-the-less played an important role in our history. Joyce Owens, curator of the Galleries Program at Chicago State University
where she also teaches painting and drawing, is a figurative painter who addresses issues around race using found and traditional materials. Her work asks us to question superficial responses, encouraging us to "look beyond the masks — the many faces we all wear” for deeper understanding. Bernard Williams,who taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1991-2003, produces large scale installations and public art pieces that grow from two sources: his continuing examination of American and world history and culture; and an interest in archaeology, cartography, and ethnology. In many of his works, signs and symbols are used to comment on the complexities of history, human development, and movement through the ages. Rhonda Wheatley focuses on
language and the written word. She is interested in the often elusive act of trying to understand and translate one’s feelings into words, using this construct as inspiration for the fluid nature and movement of her paintings and collages on canvas and paper.
Public Reception: Thursday, February 2, 5 - 8 p.m.
Reviews and comments
What a wonderful time conversing about our high school and college experiences. I hope the opportunity presents again for us to chat. (June 15,2015 Just Lookin Gallery)
Bravo l'Artiste !!!
ça laisse du potentiel pour l'avenir à admirer, avec ce talent ça promet.
Marvellous gallery ! Big originality! Excuse my very bad English language! Bravo !
you have a beautiful gallery i love your sculptural work and your painting . Congratulations you have a lot of talent
Thank you for sharing Joyce
It is always amazing to me that I seem to only learn of artists through some act of serendipity. I am thrilled to have finally learned of the beauty and intellect of Joyce Owens.
Juarez recently made me aware of your web site as an example of a well constructed and effective site.
So glad she did! I appreciate your art even more because I've seen more. Keep Monroe working on the kitchen rehab so that he can create dishes that inspire you. I'm looking to add one or more of your pieces to my/my wife's budding collection. When Juarez finishes my new logo and corporate identity items, I keep you informed. I'm looking to one day soon represent emerging or "under-renown, under-known, under-valued, under-appreciated" contemporary African American artists. Are you entered in "Gallery D'Estee" this March? Stephen Carter aka BlackButterfly.
I just love your work!
I also attended Howard University
College of Fine Arts. My father
Dr. Albert J.Carter was the curator
I'm married to Bernard W. Brooks
(watercolorist/mixed media artist.
Met you during the National Alliance
Conference in St. Louis (I'm the one with the silver sculpture-like ear rings). So glad I looked at your site. Your work is fantastic. Hope we can keep in touch.
call me
917 612 9966
I'm in Tucson on a quick vacation, showing your work to my friend.
Your art is beautiful! Your use of your materials evokes a deeper level of emotion - thank you
Really beautiful, the style has a 1940ish feel. It is a feeling I get from the colors and the clothing. I love your pallette. kim
Love your work! Thanks for sharing your website w/me. If you ever have an exhibit in the Hampton Roads, VA area, please let me know! Peace and continued blessings!
Hello Joyce:
I met you on March 19, 2000 at a mutual friends home. You sketched a picture of me and my husband that evening and they are two of the most precious portraits I possess. When I look in my husband's eyes, I see just how much he loves me.
You captured that for me .... I am forever grateful to you.
Diane
Looking forward to seeing your exhibit at the Art Museum Of Greater Lafayette!
Your work is wonderful.
Your work is absolutely representative of our African experience and I admire your dedication to preserving our history and the memory of those on whose shoulders we stand today. Thanks.
Joyce,
Your art reflect on your richness as a person,on your pride as an African American, and on being a citizen of the world.
Please continue to Bless us with your work.
Dan Parker
hello ms. anderson
I fully enjoyed viewing your work, its colors, compositions, and various forms using multiple figures, faces, masks. and paintings. Keep up the excellent and inspiring work.
I love the color and vibrance in your paintings and the inspiring messages within your blog!
Hello Joyce, I spoke with you in the stairwell @ School on Monday and you invited me to sit in on your class next semester. I just wanted to say that looking at your artwork (the spirit series) makes me think of my grandmother. They evoke smells, dialog, and sounds of the south. Thank You, JRS
Joyce,
Your work is such an inspiration! I found you navigating through Chicago art networks and starting reading your blogs. I sat for a good while and read many of your posts and they all are so enlightening! Thank you for being you and doing YOU - I have learned so much simply taking in your insight. Love your work! The full-length portraits are so warm and emotional. May God continue to use you...
Joyce, I wish my computer wasn't so small. I really want to see your work as you created it. Maybe, someday I'll make it to Chicago. Have you ever had an exibit in Washington DC or Philly?
Hi Ms. Owens,
I tried to contact you from your website, but I had no luck. My name is Jerry Harris. I am an African American sculptor who has spent most of his life as an artist in Stockholm, Sweden. I now reside in Chico, California. I have been invited to the opening of The New Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago on the 15th of May, and I was hoping to meet other African American artists in your area. I have been in contact with Richard Hunt and will be visiting him too. Perhaps you will be in attendance too(the opening)? I have not chosen a hotel yet, but I am working on it. My telephone number is: 530-894-8701, and my cellphone is: 530-680-0255. You can Google Jerry Harris Sculptor.
Thank you very much,
Jerry Harris
Contact Joyce Owens
Send a private message to Joyce Owens