SSCC plans April 21 artist reception for Joanne Edwards

An exhibition featuring "plein air" artist Joanne Edwards is currently on display in the Learning Resources Center (LRC) of Southern State Community College's South Campus, 12681 U.S. Route 62, near Sardinia.

The exhibition will be available for viewing throughout spring quarter. The art term "plein air" refers to a style of painting produced outdoors in natural light.

A meet-the-artist reception will be held 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in the LRC. The event is free to the community and refreshments will be served.

Edwards was born in the Chicago area and didn't begin her formative art training until she relocated to the Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC) in 1984. Her early works were inspired by Mary Cassatt, and she received numerous portrait commissions. Edwards won a First-Year Scholarship from AAC and earned her BFA in 1993, graduating magna cum laude and as class valedictorian.

Later she concentrated on Impressionist painting, studying the styles of Monet, Van Gogh and Matisse. Her paintings traveled for several years with the Cinergy Collection and she had works on display in Sen. Mike DeWine's offices. Edwards' artwork is held in many private collections and has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows. Her oil paintings have been exhibited and sold in numerous art galleries, including Masterpiece Gallery in Oakley, Closson's of Cincinnati, Guenther Gallery & Design in Itasca, Ill., and River's Edge Gallery at the Cincinnati Airport.

Edwards has been a member of the Cincinnati Art club, the Queen City Art Club and the Indiana Plein Air Society, and has been a member of the Ohio Plein Air Society for the past six years. She recently moved to Lake Waynoka in Sardinia and displays her work for sale in the Lake Waynoka Restaurant.

From 2009-10, Edwards wanted to experiment with a new medium and decided to take classes in watercolor at Southern State Community College with instructor James "Skip" Werline.