New Feature Exhibition in April March 22 2019

Jo Sinclair
Through Wisdom Waters

On Exhibit: April 7 - 27, 2019
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 7, 4-7 PM
Artists Talk: Friday, April 12, 11 AM

About the Exhibition

In May of 2017, Jo Sinclair presented a solo exhibition titled Navigating the Soul’s Journey, in which she used the metaphor of the boat to explore a range of introspective themes.  Her upcoming exhibition, Through Wisdom Waters, is the sequel to this exhibition and a continuation of these investigations. Sinclair states that this collection of new work weaves together a “journey of explorations, experimentation and remembrances in order to review and begin anew.”   

When seen as a whole, this exhibition is tied together in a “rhapsody of blues” with many subtle layers of paint and collaged text that make up each piece. Composition copper, gold and silver leaf along with woven and wrapped threads further bring out a glimmering luminosity in this work. 

In preparation for this show, Sinclair pulled inspiration from a range of influential artists, from the mixed-media creations of Robert Rauschenberg to the abstracted forms of fiber artist Olga D’Amaral.  Sinclair also revisited her own past works, and in doing so found a common aesthetic and many recurring themes.  One such theme was a reference to the metaphor of her life as a tapestry, which goes back to her early training as a fibre artist and sculptor in art school. 

As Jo Sinclair worked on this series, she sought to express the exhibition title in both literal and figurative terms, but an assortment of challenges began to present themselves along the way.  As Sinclair elaborates in her artist statement, her experimentation with materials, mediums and concepts were too vast, and she suddenly found herself overwhelmed and crippled by a lifetime of influences, art knowledge and external factors that got in the way of the creative process.  As she worked her way through these challenges, she was eventually able to quiet opposing voices and make peace with herself, ultimately allowing her artwork to take form “as with the wisdom of waters that naturally find the path of least resistance, finding flow.”  And this, she continues, “has made all the challenges worthwhile. The personal wisdom, insights, knowledge and re-connection with my intuitive waters that I have found through the process of creating this collection is invaluable and vital to myself as an artist and human being.”

About the Artist

Jo Sinclair has been a professional artist, arts educator, designer, and creative consultant for the past 39 years. She graduated with a BFA and honors from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1978 and a Masters of Art Education in 2013 from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Sinclair has worked in a range of media throughout her career, including sculptural weaving, sculptural paper forms, mixed-media jewelry, oil pastel, painting, collage, assemblage and encaustics.

Sinclair's artwork has been included in numerous exhibitions at venues such as the Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL; Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL; and others. Her work is also represented in many private and corporate collections, including Agnes Gund, President Emerita of the Museum of Modern Art, Lee Ioccoa, International Paper Corporation, Memphis, TN; Indian Wells Country Club, Indian Wells, CA; and Walt Disney Corporation, Orlando, FL. She is a veteran exhibitor and award winner in the national art fair circuit. Sinclair also has extensive experience as an arts educator, having taught at numerous institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL; the Art Institute of Jacksonville, FL, and the Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra Beach, where she continues to teach children’s art camps. Sinclair received one of the St. Johns County Cultural Council ROWITA 2019 awards, Recognizing Outstanding Women in the Arts for her contributions as an arts educator/instructor and artist.