MEET JOANNE MASSEY A RENOWNED ARTIST AND SCULPTOR

0

When Faith and Art Collide

With all the craziness and commotion the world is enduring right now, local artist, Joanne Scott Massey, decided to shed some light on social media with hopes of uplifting others with her artwork. On April 12th of this year, which also happened to be Easter, Joanne shared this special painting with the Evansville community on Facebook. This oil painting was actually done in 2000 for Christ the King Church, now known as Annunciation Catholic Church. Today, the painting remains as part of their original, permanent collection. After Christ the King had remodeled their church at that time, Joanne worked with a fellow parishioner to create this piece of art for the newly redone entryway. The painting shows a glowing dove surrounded by angels which brings the viewer a feeling of peace and security. The very talented, late Victor Ubelhor from Christ the King created a beautiful, dark wood frame for the painting to be displayed in. The painting itself is rather large having the dimensions of 98” by 60.” This incredible piece of art is concluded with a quote on a plaque at the bottom of the frame reading, “Angels and Ministers of Grace Protect Us at Christ the King.” 

pastedGraphic.png

Painting at Christ the King

Joanne’s Facebook post gained quite a bit of attention which left everyone wanting to know more about Joanne’s artwork and where she finds the inspiration to create. After talking to Joanne about other artwork she has created, it was discovered that she has pieces all over Evansville. One of the most interesting locations her artwork is displayed is Deaconess and Gateway Hospitals. A generous patron, John M. Lawrence, purchased many of Joanne’s paintings with the intention of displaying them at the two hospitals where they are still a part of the permanent collection. John understood the therapeutic benefit that artwork can induce. He purchased countless of Joanne’s large, floral paintings as he was personally moved by her work. John’s deep connection with Deaconess inspired him to share this joy with patients and visitors to the hospital. Hung together, the paintings had the effect of making someone feel as if they were walking through a garden.

A hospital may initially seem like an unlikely place to display countless large paintings. However, artwork in hospitals has an incredible impact on anyone who steps foot into them. Hospitals can be a place of immense stress and artwork can impact them in ways unimaginable by lifting families up in a time of uncertainty. Displaying artwork in hospitals can bring light into a time that may be dark. In the opposite sense, it can add light to a moment that is beautiful- such as a baby being born or a family member finally recovering. Lining a hospital hallway with bright artwork has the potential to make a walk down the hallway so much more hopeful, optimistic, and positive. 

The feedback received after the paintings were displayed in the hospital hallways was incredible. Due to this success, John later commissioned Joanne again in 2014 to create a large, abstract painting with the intention of representing 5 different faiths. Joanne was up for the challenge and wanted to create a piece that could possess the power to move individuals of all different religions. The painting was to be hung inside the hospital chapel so different faiths could come together as one. Linda E. White, the president and CEO of Deaconess Health System, provided much insight to Joanne as the two discussed the deeper meaning of the painting. Linda explained how they yearned for a piece that was cohesive with the preexisting environment but could also emphasize the importance of different colors. The faiths needed to be represented equally within the symbolism. The painting is shown below along with the words on the plaque that explains the representation and symbolism within.

pastedGraphic_1.png

Open Your Hearts to Hope

Representation – Symbolism

The white Lotus grows through water basking in the sun.

The Lotus represents Buddhism which signifies the progress of the soul and spiritual perfection.

The star and crescent represent the Muslim beliefs of compassion, charity, and humility.

The Om represents the Hindu sacred sound. It is the symbol of piety.

The six-pointed Star of David represents a symbol of unity for the Jewish. The star that points up represents God. The star that points down represents us here on earth.

The Lily is a symbol of innocence and purity in Christianity. It also represents motherhood and rebirth.

Two Fish swimming in harmony represents happiness and freedom.

The Dove represents all of us. It is a universal symbol of Love and Peace.

The bright golden light beckons us to go over the eternal ridge of eternity and seek the unity of peace and love.

Together they are woven into one.

 More About Joanne Massey

Joanne has created artwork her entire life and has lived in Evansville for most of it. She attended the University of Southern Indiana where she majored in Fine Arts and minored in Marketing. Today, Joanne works to create art in many ways with different mediums. She is represented by the Rumjahn Gallery and also teaches art classes at Angel Mounds. Within the past 10 years, Joanne has discovered her love of pottery. Some of her most unique pieces of art combine clay and paint resulting in fascinating, three-dimensional paintings. Joanne has received a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts to get pottery classes started at Angel Mounds. She hopes the pottery classes can begin later in 2020. Two of her three-dimensional paintings can be seen below.

 pastedGraphic_2.png                       pastedGraphic_3.png

The biggest question surrounding Joanne’s artwork is simply the inspiration behind it. What inspires her and how does she use artwork as an outlet for that inspiration? Her answer is rather simple but moving. Joanne said she is inspired by “whatever she is moved by in the moment.” Joanne has always been drawn to beauty, especially in a natural sense. She has never aimed her focus at symmetry because most natural things are not symmetrical, and they are not perfect. Nature is her muse. The seasons impact and inspire Joanne. She loves flowers and specializes in large, floral paintings. Anything that has character and looks like it is alive intrigues, Joanne. This admiration of natural beauty is what led Joanne into making pottery. Her pottery is hand-built and she carefully sculpts each piece. See two of her pottery pieces below.

pastedGraphic_4.png                   pastedGraphic_5.png

Joanne resides on the Eastside of Evansville with her husband, local attorney Tom Massey. Many pieces of artwork can be seen by appointment at Massey Law Offices downtown.

pastedGraphic_6.png

Court View Conference Center at Massey Law Office

Together, Tom and Joanne have three children: Rachel, Scott, and Ellie. All three children attended Purdue University majoring in a variety of studies. Rachel, the oldest daughter, works at Eli Lily and lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Cory. Scott is the founder and CEO of Heliponix, a hydroponics company that sells refrigerator-sized appliances that allow consumers to grow to produce in the comfort of their own home. Tom and Joanne’s youngest daughter, Ellie, is a junior at Purdue currently completing her degree in Industrial Management.

pastedGraphic.png

Family photo from Christmas Wedding on 12/27/2019

FOOTNOTE: More of Joanne’s artwork can be seen on her website JoanneMasseyFineArt.com. Any inquiries about art classes can be directed to masseyevin@wowway.com.