The paint brush hits the canvas, and the creative process begins. Every stroke counts toward the final art piece. Similarly, every part of Art Department Head Joy Blalock’s journey has helped her get to where she is today.
Blalock hadn’t always planned on pursuing art. In fact, she originally thought about becoming an archeologist, or even pursuing something in fashion or law. This all changed, however, when one specific art piece in Houston, Texas, caught her eye. The work, a piece by artist James Turrell, is a light installation that changes colors as one walks by it, shifting from magenta to blue to red.
“I didn’t know that art could look like that, and I felt like it cleansed me,” Blalock said.
After taking a gap year and working at her own music radio show, Blalock went to the University of Virginia to study art and art history, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. Soon after, she studied photography and video installation in graduate school.
“I make these really big videos that I install in rooms, and you walk through them,” Blalock said. “To me, that always feels like an extension of my painting practice, which is based on the emotional experience of color, which brings you full circle back to James Turrell and walking through the light. I feel like that’s kind of how the journey has been for art.”
Blalock’s passion for art also connects to her love for teaching, which all began in her college’s learning center where she taught students how to effectively take notes and run efficient study groups. As her study groups became more popular on campus, the idea of teaching for a living became more appealing to Blalock. Ever since then, she hasn’t looked back and has now taught art at Pinewood for the past three years.
In addition to all this, Blalock is excited about the potential of a new user interface design program that she is working on incorporating into the school’s curriculum. Although typically a skill only taught at the college level, Blalock aspires to bring UI design to Pinewood, making the school one of few institutions to do so nationally.
“I used to be a college professor before I was a high school teacher, so I feel like I bring some of that with me to Pinewood, and I kind of reverse engineer what my students need for college and high school,” Blalock said.
Today, Blalock still explores art outside of teaching by creating video work and taking photos with her film camera. Some of her work has been showcased in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for their book fair, and some were even published in Vanity Fair.
Blalock’s favorite thing about art is that it showcases different cultures and tells a story.
“I think that art also has this really powerful ability to help people change their minds and to think, and that’s what gives it its power,” Blalock said.
