Flint, MI — The Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) will showcase a new exhibit by artist and sculptor Joyce J. Scott titled “Joyce J. Scott: Messages.”
The exhibit, premiering on July 20, 2024, will feature the Baltimore artist’s utilization of glass beads and other materials to create jewelry and sculptures that double as social and political commentary.
Sarah Kohn, Director and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at FIA, told Flint Beat she became familiar with Scott’s artwork at the 2017 Glass Art Society Conference in Norfolk, Virginia.
“She received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contributions to the Studio Glass Field and gave the most exciting and interesting lecture that I had heard in a while,” said Kohn. “Her artwork was intricate and beautiful, but I was really drawn to the subjects that she explores.”
The upcoming exhibit is a curated selection of her work from 1979 until now. It will feature over 30 mixed-media compositions curated by Scott alongside other national collectors and museums. Organized by the Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the exhibit will be the first in the Harris-Burger Gallery to feature jewelry to this extent.
“She is a master at transforming tiny glass beads into elaborate wearable art and sculpture, and the subject matter often reflects issues in contemporary society in an interesting way,” said Kohn when asked what makes the exhibit worth seeing.
Scott was taught appliqué quilting techniques by her mother, who encouraged her to pursue a career as an artist. Coming from a family of artisans, she learned craft traditions such as basket weaving, woodworking, quilting, beading, and embroidery. As sharecroppers from North and South Carolina before migrating to Baltimore, Scott’s family developed a broad range of skill sets to survive.
The eclectic artist also draws inspiration from her African American heritage and other creative practices worldwide, such as those of West Africa (Yoruba), Mexico, and Indigenous Americans.
“I believe that museums have the potential to be sites for activism and social justice via artistic expression,” Kohn stated. “This exhibition is a good example of that.”
Those interested in Scott’s work can view the exhibit until Dec. 1, 2024.
I’ve seen better stuff from kindergarteners stuck on their grandparent’s refrigerators.