Daily Inspiration: Meet Joy Armstrong

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Armstrong.

Hi Joy , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was lucky to be raised in a family that deeply values the arts and supported all of my creative endeavors. My father was an Air Force meteorologist by profession, but also a singer and visual artist and my mother is an educator and pianist. I followed closely in their footsteps by starting piano at a young age, then viola, voice, and theatre through young adulthood. I attended the University of Denver for studio art and communications before working as a performer, ceramicist, and photographer through much of my 20s. I returned to school at Kent State University where I earned my MA in Art History and unexpectedly fell in love with gallery and museum work. When people ask me if I am still making art, the answer is yes, only now my medium is curation centered around creative collaboration with contemporary artists. In 2021, I completed my Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Research, and Policy at UCCS where I have been fortunate to work for the past two years as the Director and Curator of the Galleries of Contemporary Art (GOCA). I credit my parents and husband Mike for their unwavering support of my personal and professional passions, mentors at Kent State University and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and so many incredible colleagues, friends, and patrons who make our community thrive.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While this path has been deeply rewarding, it would be disingenuous to say it has been an easy one. I have struggled with mental health challenges since my youth, often presenting as profound self-criticism around my ability to show up with excellence. Additionally, this isn’t exactly what one might consider a lucrative career choice and the competition for professional roles is fierce, which has led to periods of doubt and unhelpful comparison to others. However, the arts unfailingly continue to be there for me in times of darkness as a source of solace, expression, and connection, for which I am incredibly grateful; many of my most meaningful relationships were forged in creative spaces. I think that these personal experiences have contributed greatly to my current efforts to focus on the intersection of arts and health.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My curatorial philosophy is rooted in the belief that institutions have a responsibility to help visionaries bring radical ideas into the world, so my greatest joy is serving as a resource to artists and facilitating the development of new work. The exhibitions I’ve become best known for are participatory experiences, with early examples being Floyd Tunson: Son of Pop in 2012 and Pamela Joseph’s Sideshow of the Absurd in 2013, both at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. I was lucky to be working alongside Museum Director Blake Milteer at that time, as he placed so much trust in me and gave me tremendous latitude to pursue unconventional ideas. I’m really proud of those and subsequent projects that surprised audiences by enabling artists to create something fresh and unexpected.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Most people would be surprised to learn that GOCA does not receive any programmatic support from the university system, so I fundraise to pay for all of our exhibition expenses, student wages, and a portion of professional salary. A great way to support the work we do here is to participate in our programs, share our work with others, volunteer time, or make a tax-exempt donation if you are inclined and able to do so. I love collaboration, especially across disciplines, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to connect and brainstorm!

Pricing:

• GOCA exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public
• House of GOCA: Wearable Art and Fashion event, tickets $20-78/pp
• Curator’s Circle membership, $1,000/yr

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gocadigital.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gocacolospgs/#
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galleryuccs
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-armstrong-ph-d-8b2a0531/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMt6ZdXmULhN5lJkJDjJmw

Image Credits
Stellar Propellar Studio