Joy Kocmoud- Capturing Character on Canvas
Our featured artist, Joy Kocmoud, (pronounced “cuts-mode”), is an award winning photographer and painter located in Rio Grande, Ohio. With a special passion for portraits of people and pets, Joy applies her creative, outgoing intelligence to capturing the character of every subject in a relaxed atmosphere. “I love working with people,” says Kocmoud. “Trying to create the perfect image can be quite a challenge. My goal is to capture magic moments so they can be shared with family and friends for a long time to come. I want to tell stories that can be passed down from generation to generation.”
Born and raised in Chicago, Joy moved to Southeast Ohio in 1999 and currently works as a photojournalist for the Gallipolis Daily Tribune. She completed her Masters of Classroom Education with a concentration in Integrated Arts at the University of Rio Grande in 2009. She also holds a Bachelor's in Visual Arts and an Associate in Business Administration.
In the last decade Joy has won over a dozen
awards for her photographs and paintings. Her most significant honor
was winning Best of Show for her digital photograph Structural Integrity
at the Tri-State Arts Association Juried Exhibition held at the
Huntington Museum of Art in West Virginia, where she also earned
Honorable Mention for a watercolor painting titled Fortune Teller. “I
was excited just to have both of my pieces accepted by the jurors,” says
Kocmoud. “I was very surprised when I found out I had won the top award
at such a prestigious show.”
