Joyce Honsberger

Well known in the Niagara arts community, sculptor and poet Joyce Honsberger is revered as much for her strikingly original paper and wire constructions and intriguing illustrated poetry books, as for her leadership in promoting and supporting local artists.Born near Smithville, ON, Joyce graduated from OCAD in 1985, and is a member of the Sculptors Society of Canada. Since 1984, she has had over twenty solo exhibitions of her work, and has participated in over ninety group exhibitions in...See more

Well known in the Niagara arts community, sculptor and poet Joyce Honsberger is revered as much for her strikingly original paper and wire constructions and intriguing illustrated poetry books, as for her leadership in promoting and supporting local artists.Born near Smithville, ON, Joyce graduated from OCAD in 1985, and is a member of the Sculptors Society of Canada. Since 1984, she has had over twenty solo exhibitions of her work, and has participated in over ninety group exhibitions in Canada, the USA, Scandinavia, Europe, Mexico, Japan and Australia. Her work can be found in public and private collections and in galleries.A feature for Joyce was being selected by the Sculptors Society of Canada in 1989 to represent Canada at the International Pulp/Paper Symposium in Harnosand, Sweden. In 1990/1991 she participated in the International Encounter of Sculpture II in Mexico City. Followed by an exhibition with the National Autonomous University of Mexico City, Mexico.Seeking a public venue for her work, Joyce opened her gallery, The Wind Poppy, in Fonthill, ON, in the 1970's, providing an exhibition space for local artists and craftspeople. She became an early partner in The Jordan Gallery, Jordan, ON, and exhibited there for over twenty years, helping to chart the direction of Niagara Region's premier arts and crafts showplace. In 1992, she founded Arts Place Gallery in Port Colborne, ON, which opened with an exhibit of 11 contemporary local fine artists. This collective gallery space showcased the work of the original members, and the many others who followed over the next thirty years, offering support, encouragement and a focus for Niagara artists. Her personal warmth and powers of persuasion have provided the impetus for many painters, photographers and craftspeople in the area to develop their talents, and contribute to the rich expressive traditions of Southern Ontario. See less