Joyce Honsberger is a professional artist based in Niagara Ontario.
1985 Associate of the Ontario College of Art (AOCA)
1987-2021 Member of The Sculptors Society of Canada (SSC)
1996-2013 Member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA)
Biography -
Born near Smithville Ontario, I had plenty of time to enjoy and explore the landscape, it was magical. A highlight growing up was taking piano lessons, the joy and love of that musical experience is mirrored in my artwork.
Living in Fonthill, with my husband William and daughter Lisa, I taught piano lessons, founded and managed an arts and craft boutique, The WindPoppy, put together a portfolio and enrolled in the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1985. There I became involved in the paper making process, it was a eureka moment, paper pulp was the perfect medium, creating structures for exploring space potential.
In 1987, I became a member of the Sculptures Society of Canada, and in 1989, was chosen to represent Canada at a paper pulp symposium in Härnösand, Sweden. It was a career sparked experience, in a mountain of wood pulp, I created a spatial landscape, ode to Härnösand. The wonder and mystery of pulp fiber became my passion. Installation Exhibitions became an exploration of space as well as spirit.
Moving to Wainfleet, on the shores of Lake Erie in 1989, living in a 170 year old house, Cairnbank, was a gift. Germinating inspiration and challenge. In 1992, I founded Art’s Place Gallery Collective in Port Colborne, Ontario. My studio, the Windpoppy, is located there, so much of my exhibition work and musings were spawned in the solace and beauty of Cairnbank. I still have the privilege of living there, my varied art experiences including, being a partner for 20 years of the Jordan Art Gallery, with the support of my wonderful family. All have been my spirit’s supporting links, in the balancing of life’s traffic and creativities roller coaster.
My work is found in public and commercial galleries, corporate, and private collections. Since 1984, I have had more than twenty solo exhibitions and participated in over one hundred group exhibitions in Canada, U.S., Sweden, Holland, Mexico, Japan, and Australia.
Professional Experience -
1970-1988 Founder and proprietor of “The Windpoppy Boutique and Gallery”, Fonthill, ON
1992-2021 Founder/Gallery Co-Ordinator, Arts Place Gallery, Port Colborne
2001-2021 Partner of The Jordan Art Gallery, Jordan
1970-2021 Organized exhibitions for regional artists
1985 Instructor, exploration, handmade paper, Grimsby Public Art Gallery.
1986 Instructor, handmade paper, Lynnwood Public Art Gallery, Simcoe.
1988 Instructor, Children’s Sculptors Workshop, Grimsby.
1989 ‘Art 89’, Pulp and Paper Symposium, Harnosand Sweden, representing the SSC
1989 ‘Paper Magic’, Instructor, Grimsby Public Art Gallery
1990 ‘Workshop In Steel’, Canadian Representative of SSC, Mexico City
1990 Instructor, MAD Programme, Beamsville
1991-1993 Instructor, ‘Exploration’, Paper/Pulp Sculpture, Mohawk College of Applied Arts, Hamilton
1992 Participant, International Paper Makers and Paper Artists Congress, Montreal Que.
1993-1996 ‘Exploration’, Paper/Pulp Sculpture, Arts Place Gallery
1998 Participant, International Paper Makers and Paper Artists Congress, Adelaide Australia
1998-2003 Member of ‘Art of Glendale’ Task Force, Niagara College, Welland
1999 The Fine Art of Being Professional, Visual Arts Ontario Seminar
2002 ‘Art as Process Not Product’ Workshop, Arts Place Gallery
2003 Juror, Haldimand Art Works, Cayuga
2010 Juror, Arts Students Exhibit, Rodman Hall, Brock University
Artist’s Statement -
As a human being I need to feel, hear, sense the miracle, potential, vastness and impartiality of space to experience freedom, openness, and wonder in my life. As an artist, sensing this magic is the first step in the process of transposing it into my art form - a transposition that hopefully will make it available to almost everyone.
After being invited three times to make paper for print making, I gathered some old cotton sheets and dried flowers, chopped them up and put them in a vat of water. When I placed my hands in that vat of water with paper pulp - nature’s gift it’s spirit connected with mine. Peace and healing as well as excitement, I had found the medium for my creative exploration. Paper making has been our companion for over 2000 years, it is so versatile, expressive, fragile, strong, responsive. Prized but the least appreciated. For me, working with paper pulp has been a journey of spirit, the imaginations playground, I still feel a peace and excitement when I place my hands in a container of water and paper pulp.
