Joellyn Rock: Artist Biography

From her homepage:

"As a visual narrator, my medium shifts to accommodate the needs of the project. I have spent the past two decades telling stories with images. These stories have taken the form of illustrations for newspapers, posters for telephone poles, and paintings for galleries. Some have taken shape as collaborative theater projects. Others have been made of clay, narratives disguised as the decoration on ceramic vessels. Most recently, I have turned to telling stories digitally, using the computer as both design tool and delivery format. I believe that the most interesting future for visual communication will be crafted by hybrid creators: Artist/Writer/Designers whose work and job descriptions will be difficult to pigeonhole."

Joellyn Rock's art has been profiled in Art in America, American Ceramics, American Craft, Ceramics Monthly, Seattle Weekly, the Seattle Times and the New York Times, among others.

Ms. Rock is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Minnesota, Duluth (USA), teaching graphic design. [Contact Information at bottom of this page.]

EDUCATION

2001
M.F.A. Graphic Design, University of Minnesota, Duluth

1982
B.A. Visual Arts, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

1975-77
Studies in Comparative Literature and Visual Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Short Courses

1993
Writing and Illustrating Children's Books, Parson's School of Design, New York City, NY

1989
Pate de Verre, Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2001-2003
Assistant Professor
Department of Art and Design
University of Minnesota, Duluth

1999-2001
Instructor of Record
Department of Art and Design
University of Minnesota, Duluth

1999
Digital Art Instructor
Girl Power / Technogirls Program, Duluth, MN

1997-99
Visiting Artist:
Duluth Children’s Museum
Playfair Discovery Center
Duluth Visitation Center

1994-95
Art Administrator / Educational Programing
Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA

1994
Art Instructor
Pacific Arts Center, Seattle, WA

1992-93
Art Instructor:
Greenwich House Pottery, New York, NY
Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn, NY
Henry Street Settlement House, New York, NY
Artist-in-the-Schools
New York City Public Schools

1992
Art Instructor:
Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA
The Studio School, Seattle, WA

Teaching Assistant
Painting on Glass Course
Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA

1990-91
Ceramics Instructor
Northern Clay Center, St. Paul, MN

1988-89
Art Instructor
Coyote Jr. High, Seattle, WA

1986-89
Director and Art Instructor
The Art Club, Seattle, WA

1984-89
Artist-in-Residence Program, Washington State Arts Commission
Short and long-term residencies:
Seattle Public Schools
Anacortes Public Schools
Spokane Public Schools
Tacoma Arts Commission
Waldron Island School
Bertschi School

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

April 1995
Wheels of Fortune
Linda Farris Gallery, Seattle, WA

November 1991
Joellyn Rock, Ceramic Sculpture,
Artworks Gallery, Seattle, WA

August 1991
Jerome Fellowship Show
Northern Clay Center, St. Paul, MN

January 1990
Joellyn Rock, Paintings and Urns
Artworks Gallery, Seattle, WA

April 1989
Joellyn Rock, Vessels
Artworks Gallery, Seattle, WA

March 1988
Paintings on Clay
Hundredwaters Gallery, Seattle, WA

November 1986
Joellyn Rock, Sgraffito Works
911 Arts Center, Seattle, WA

January 1980
Tornados
ARC Gallery, Seattle, WA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2002-2003
Adversary, A Traveling Exhibition (of) Contesting Graphic Design
Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, Massachusetts
Old Dominion University Gallery, Norfolk, Virginia
VOICE2: AIGA National Design Conference, Washington, D.C.

April 2002
Bare Bones, The Vasalisa Project
Electronic Literature Organization, Electronic Gallery
ELO State of the Arts Symposium, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

April 2001
HOT HOUSE Installation, UMD Student Exhibition,
Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN

Fall 2000
All Systems Go, UM Faculty Exhibition,
Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN

July 2000
Political Clay
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA

1999
Sculptural Objects Functional Art Expo, New York
Represented by Leslie Ferrin Gallery
New York, NY

1998
Artists of the Month
Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

1996
Sculptural Objects Functional Art Expo, Chicago
Represented by Leslie Ferrin Gallery
Chicago, IL

1995
Group Show Invitational
MIA Gallery, Seattle, WA

A Tea Party
Leslie Ferrin Gallery, Northampton, MA

1994
Focus Gallery Show
Linda Farris Gallery, Seattle,WA

1993
Documents Northwest: Art Chantry
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA

A Tea Party
American Craft Museum, New York, NY

Narrative Ceramics
The Farrell Collection, Washington D.C.

Ceramic Invitational
National Museum of Ceramic Arts, Baltimore, MD

Narration and Metaphor
Allegheny College, Meadville, PA

Water Vessels
Linda Farris Gallery, Seattle, WA

1992
Faculty Show
Greenwich House Pottery, New York, NY

Political Ceramics
Leslie Ferrin Gallery, Northampton, MA

Teapot Invitational
Pro Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO

1991
Group Show
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA

A Tea Party
American Craft Museum, New York, NY

Fresh Clay
Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, MN

Ceramic Invitational
Canton Art Institute, Canton, OH

1990
Ceramics National
Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY

For the Birds
Wustum Museum, Racine, WI

Group Show
Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY

1989
Northwest Annual
Center On Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA

Beautiful Tables
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA

Transport
Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Seattle, WA

Narrative Ceramics
Shaiman Gallery, Seattle, WA

1987
Faces
MIA Gallery, Seattle, WA

Madonna Show
Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Seattle, WA

1986
Portraits
Anacortes Art Museum, Anacortes, WA

CONTACT INFORMATION

Joellyn Rock
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Art and Design
University of Minnesota, Duluth
1201 Ordean Court
Duluth, MN (USA) 55812
Office: 421 ABAH
Telephone: 218-726-7545
E-mail: jrock2@d.umn.edu

Additional bio, essays and links, as well as a list of Ms. Rock's Awards and Collections, are available on Joellyn Rock's personal website, and on The Vasalisa Project website as well.