Description

About the Artist

Joyce J. Scott is a historian, printmaker, weaver, sculptor, performance artist, vocalist, and educator. Known as both the “Queen of Beadwork” and the “Queen of Baltimore”, Scott creates exuberant beaded sculptural forms and neckpieces that are provocative and confrontational, addressing contentious political and social issues such as gender, race, and class struggle. Born and raised in Baltimore, she is a descendant of African Americans, Native Americans, and Scots. Three generations of storytellers, quilters, basket makers, and wood, metal, and clay workers inspire her artwork, which is rich in color and texture, and powerful in its imagery.

Scott earned a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and an MFA from the Instituto Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Her work is held in leading public collections across the nation. Scott was named a McArthur Fellow in 2016 and a Smithsonian Visionary Artist in 2019. She is the recipient of many additional national awards and has lectured, taught, and attended residencies throughout the US and internationally.

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