Joanne Delmonico
Joanne Delmonico grew up in Providence, RI and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and Art History from Rhode Island College, studying with Enrico Pinardi, Don Smith, and Sam Ames. Shortly after graduation, she moved to the Tampa Bay area in Florida, where she lived for 40 years. She earned her Masters of Counseling degree from Webster University.
Joanne had a successful career as a teacher, trainer, facilitator, coach, and counselor with a focus in three main areas: leadership development, diversity awareness, and wellness coaching and education. Upon retirement from her corporate career with a desire to focus primarily on her artwork, Joanne decided that she wanted her artwork to be a continuation of the work she enjoyed throughout her career. It had to be meaningful. It had to be thought- provoking. And it had to be about people.
In 2016, Joanne exhibited in a group show at the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, FL and was awarded an Honorable Mention for her drawing titled “Tenderness and Tattoos: Young Love.” In 2017, two drawings were accepted into a group show called “Henry’s Kids” at the ArtProv Gallery in Providence, RI. She also exhibited in two group shows at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center in Dunedin, FL that year. In 2023, Joanne has participated in a Pop-Up show called “Faces and Figures” and the juried Pawtucket Foundation Prize Exhibition at the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. Her artwork has also been accepted into “Oh, Mother”, a national juried exhibit at the Hera Gallery.
Joanne’s first solo exhibition was held at the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative in July 2023. The title of the exhibit was “FACE IT! Recognizing the Need for Social Change.” It included 20 large scale, mixed-media, figurative drawings, 3 oil paintings, and 11 small portraits. Joanne is a member of the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative and an Associate Member of Hera Gallery.
Artist Statement
I have always been interested in people, relationships, and how what’s happening around the world impacts us. My personal mission during my corporate career was to help others reach their greatest potential.
When I retired to focus fully on my artwork, I realized that my mission hasn’t changed and I have been pondering how I may still be of service to others. I believe that I can integrate my passion for art with my desire to make a difference in the world. My vision is to use my art as a tool for social consciousness - to educate, to inform, to solicit an emotional response, and perhaps to help others see people, events, and situations from a different perspective, in order to gain a deeper level of awareness and understanding.
My philosophy of art was influenced by my teacher and mentor at Rhode Island College, the artist Enrico (Henry) Pinardi. He taught me that art should have meaning and be a true expression of the artist's inner life, including joys and fears, feelings and beliefs, and all that messy stuff we grapple with daily. When I integrate what Henry taught me with my personal values and mission, my philosophy of art dictates that I create works of art that: 1.) represent what I feel and believe about our current human condition; 2.) portray the intimacy of human relationships; and 3.) tell stories about how humans are impacting life on our planet in this moment in history.
I am a representational artist with a passion for figurative work and portraits, working mostly on paper with graphite and mixed media, and on canvas with oil paints. In addition to my earlier series of drawings called “Tenderness and Tattoos” which sought to bust stereotypes and my series of Goddesses that explores the universal archetypes that all women share, I have largely focused on four main themes since 2020. “Black Lives Matter” focuses on the police brutality that is experienced by Black people in our society. “Women in Crisis” takes a look at some of the issues that women have to deal with such as domestic violence and the right to make our own reproductive decisions. The “Immigration” series addresses the causes of immigration and the broken system. “Climate Change” takes the hard data of various climate problems and shows the impacts of climate events on people and their environment.
For a preview of my artwork, visit my website: www.joannedelmonico.com