• “Creativity is Intelligence having fun” ~ Albert Einstein

    “My pieces are often precariously placed in an effort to mirror the beautiful imperfection of life and relationships. With this approach and palette, each artwork captures a momentary glimpse of my often bittersweet perspective."

    Joanne MacDonald is a self-taught mixed media artist who grew up in rural Quebec. She moved to Calgary in 1980 and connected deeply to this city through college, career, marriage, family, and friendship. Joanne has now lived in Calgary much longer than in Quebec and values being an active part of Calgary’s wonderful and vibrant arts community. Always an artist at heart, Joanne further developed her skills at Alberta College of Art and Design, and at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology by taking continuing education courses.

Inspired by the delicate balance of nature and relationships Joanne works almost exclusively with found, natural and recycled elements. Joanne is an intuitive artist using the resources to inform as she cuts, grinds, assembles, and welds raw materials. Her artwork, like a mirror, contrasts the balance and imperfection of life. Pensive and introspective, Joanne’s sculptures, often kinetic, allude to individuals and their relationships creating an emotional dialogue between art and viewer and inviting them to interact with the pieces.

Joanne has always viewed her artwork as a maquette and welcomes the challenge of larger public and commission pieces. These few past years have resulted in a few exciting commissions – one located in a foyer of a condominium in East Village and 2 more recently from the City of Calgary. ‘MARQUEE” which is located at Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta, completed in the spring of 2016 with artist Lane Shordee. And recently a solo piece “UNLOCK” an interactive installation previously located on the 100 block of 17th Avenue SE for 3 years and after being decommissioned it resides in a sculpture garden at Workshop Studios YYC.