About Jo-an.....

Tamara L. Hawkinson in "An Artist's Retreat,"  The Desert Home,  writes "...artist Jo-an Smith has created a dwelling that is as much her sculpture as it is her home.  Soft, hand-formed adobe walls appear to grow from the rocky hillside..  For Jo-an, her home is....a canvas to be changed, redefined, and recreated."  Jeremy Sedley in New Art International, 1996 writes, "A cohesive feeling of Place compellingly permeates scenes of natural and handmade beauty in these haunting perspectives."
Selected Professional Information
Who's Who in American Art,  since 1976
Who's Who in American Women, since 2005
Dona Ana Arts' Council's Papen Family Award, 2008
Signature Member, New Mexico Watercolor Society
Distinguished Member of Society of North American
     Goldsmiths, 1976 through the 1980's
BA (Art, Design) University of Texas, El Paso,  1971
MA (Art, Design) New Mexico State University, 1975
Graduate Gemological Institute of America (Design)
Jewelry Designer for Glenn Cutter Jewelers and Cutter Gallery (Las Cruces, NM) from 1975 to 2019
Phillips Gallery (Las Cruces, NM) 2019-present
Jo-an Smith Studios (Las Cruces, NM) 2019-present

    

My forty three year love affair with New Mexico is at the heart of my art.   I moved to Las Cruces after living and traveling throughout the Western Hemisphere. Immediately, I felt I had come home and I have continued to feel that way to this day.  So much is artistically inspiring here...from the unique historic cliff dwellings to the sensual interior "landscapes" of our chile peppers.  I also am fascinated by the jewel-like quality of the outer space formations and the intricacy of the ancient Paleozoic animal footprints near my home.  I particularly enjoy interweaving richly colored and textured threads of paint into virtual tapestries of our diverse New Mexico cultures.  My background as a goldsmith and jewelry designer definitely influences my paintings.  Today, my paintings and jewelry are interrelated more than ever .  My preference for organic natural shapes appear in my paintings, jewelry and in my adobe home. Now, at eighty seven years, I love sharing my passion for New Mexico as expressed in my art. I encourage everyone to follow their creative paths regardless of the age they start.

---