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BIOGRAPHY
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JoAnna Almasude - 2003
Professional Artist
Fulltime Faculty at
The Art Institute Online
and
Instructor at the School of Technology,
Capella University |
Born "JoAnna Pettit" in 1964 in Marietta, Ohio. Almasude grew up on a farm in South Eastern Ohio, before studying art at Marietta College from 1982 to 1984, then at Ohio University's School of Fine Arts from 1984 to 1986. She traveled to London England to study art in 1986. Soon after graduating from Ohio University in 1993 with a Masters of Fine Arts in Painting, Almasude traveled to Morocco with her husband Amar (originally from Nador, Morocco). She worked with her husband on projects dealing with the language of the indigenous people on North Africa, including the creation of a computer program that brought the formally unwritten language of Tamazight to print. She traveled extensively in Morocco and researched the culture, politics and condition of the Moroccan people. While in Morocco she began her current series about the people of Morocco. The Almasude family settled in 1996 in Florence South, Carolina, where they still reside.
Painter, JoAnna Pettit-Almasude's current work offers a poignant record of the traditional culture as well as the major changes of the North African Country of Morocco in the late twentieth century. Although Almasude's work is culturally specific, she is primarily concerned with expressive portrayals of the human condition. She sees the changing position of the Moroccan people as universally experienced by all countries and peoples. This changing position, Almasude sees as including the invasion of Western Modernity, the question of the position of women in general, and the "MOTHER" specifically in modern life.
Almasude has incorporated images of her Moroccan family into many of her works; "The Foreigner" ink on paper, 1995 - depicts Almasude ironically as the foreigner in Morocco. Almasude depicts herself out of place, (wearing "western" clothes, sleeveless, no head covering) she is seated on a salon couch with her Husband Amar and Amar's mother in traditional Moroccan dress, with classic Moroccan tile in the background. Though this work as surface level appears to be a simple portrait, on further inspection viewers can discover that in Morocco the marriage to the "foreigner" is becoming a more typical scenario for the "modern" Moroccan family. Though a practice still somewhat frowned upon; due to massive immigration to Europe, especially Germany for employment, Moroccan families are experiencing at least one family member marrying the "foreigner." "Mother's Tears" ink on paper, 1995, is a political work in which Almasude depicts the traditional "Mother figure" looking upon the the strife between the government and the indigenous people about the question of the native language Tamazight. Tamazight was until recently an unwritten language spoken by up to 60% of Moroccan's. However at best Tamazight was unrecognized by the Moroccan government, at worst professionals such as professors, singers and political activists have been arrested, tortured and executed for advocating the inclusion of Tamazight into schools, and basic governmental recognition of this, for many their only spoken language.
FORMAL EDUCATION
MASTER OF FINE ARTS 1993, (painting) Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS 1991, (painting) Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.
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JoAnna Pettit-Almasude
JoAnna Almasude - 2003
Professional Artist
Fulltime Faculty at
The Art Institute Online
and
Instructor at the School of Technology,
Capella University
|
SELECTED INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
2000-present:
- Francis Marion University, OIT, Florence, SC, USA.
- Tafsut n Imazighene Parkside, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Theatre National Mohamed V, Rabat, MOROCCO.
- Espace Culture, Cite Portugal, El Jadida, MOROCCO.
- Harvard University, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Massachusetts, USA.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2000-present:
- "Florence Art Gallery, Florence, SC.
- " The Twelfth Annual Miniature Art Competition and Exhibition", Florence Museum, Florence, SC.
- "International Exhibition -- "I giorni di Pulcheria", Piazza Cavalli, Piacenza, ITALY.
- American Yatch Club, Rabat, MOROCCO.
- Musees Belghazi, Rabat, Journee Mondiale des Musees, Rabat, MOROCCO.
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SELECTED INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
1990-1999:
- Florence Museum of Art and Science, Florence, SC, USA.
- Francis Marion University, Florence, SC, USA.
- Station St. Gallery, Athens, Ohio, USA.
- Bristol Village, Waverly, Ohio, USA.
- Association Renaissance, Al Chica. Nador, MOROCCO.
- Civic Center, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA.
- Seigfred Gallery, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA.
- Sheraton Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1990-1999:
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Pedestrian Gallery, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
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Mcleod Family Medical Center Exhibit, Florence, S.C. USA.
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Rockhill Museum of Art, Rockhill, SC. USA.
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Florence Museum, Florence, South Carolina. USA.
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Francis Marion University, Florence South Carolina. USA.
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Web Center, Court Street, Athens, Ohio. USA.
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"International Art Exhibit" Baker Center, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. USA.
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Traveling Production, Jose' Delgado, Dept. of Modern Languages, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. USA.
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Skyline Room, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas. USA.
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Chicago Gallery, Chicago, Illinois. USA.
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Skyline Room, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas. USA.
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Stangroom Gallery, Newton Center, Massachusetts. USA.
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Yagumokitacho, Moriguchi City, Osaka, (Traveling) JAPAN.
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Kent Library Gallery, Kent, Washington. (Traveling) USA.
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N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago, Illinois. USA.
SELECTED INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
1980-1989:
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Casa Nueva, Athens, Ohio, USA.
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U.C.M. Gallery, Athens, Ohio, USA.
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Marietta Savings Bank, Marietta, Ohio, USA.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1980-1989:
- Athens Dairy Barn Gallery, Athens, Ohio. USA.
- Seigfred Gallery, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. USA.
- "Ohio University President's Show", Park Place, Athens, Ohio. USA.
- "Ohio University U.A.L Exhibition", Seigfred Gallery, Athens, Ohio. USA.
- Marietta Collage Gallery, Marietta, Ohio. USA.
- Ohio Governor's Exhibition, State Building, Columbus, Ohio. USA.
Thank you to all who sponsored, assisted and attended the /2000 Exhibitions in MOROCCO!
View Newspaper Articles:
May 17, 2000 -- Interviewed for Prime Time News, National Television Morocaine, National Television, MOROCCO.
May 14, 2000 -- "L'Americaine, Jo Anna Almasude au theatre Mohammed V", La Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb, Rabat, MOROCCO.
May 11, 2000 -- "JoAnna Almasude Expose", La Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb, Rabat, MOROCCO.
May 8, 2000 -- "In The News", Al Alam, Rabat, MOROCCO.
May 10, 2000 -- "Moroccan Woman through the Eyes of An American Woman", Almon'Ataf, Rabat, MOROCCO.
May 7, 2000 -- "In the News", National Radio Diddusion, National Radio, MOROCCO.
May 28, 1998 -- "Art For Women's Sake", Florence Morning News, Florence, SC.
Feburary 12, 1998 -- "FMU Art Gallery Series Features the Paintings and Drawings of JoAnna Pettit-Almasude", Five O'clock Friday, SC.
May 21, 1998 -- "Heart, Flowers and the Paintings of JoAnna Pettit-Almasude", Five O'clock Friday, Florence, SC.
March 1982 -- "Area Student Wins State Honors", Marietta Times, Marietta, OH.
March 1981 -- "Area Student Art Selected for State Exhibition", Marietta Times, Marietta, OH.
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