Curriculum Vitae
Joanna McCormick
Email : joanna.mccormick@googlemail.com
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An award winning self employed artist with a socially engaged practice. Based in South East London with a studio at Peckham Settlement. A BA in Fine Art and experience of working with art groups such as The Surgery and with public bodies such as The Fashion & Textile Museum and The Ikon Gallery. Specialising in installation art across different mediums from reminiscence to taxidermy, sculpture, photography, oil painting and performance. Recently selected from 200 applicants to undertake Westminster Arts' Resonate artists' training programme working with people with mental health problems including dementia.
Interpersonal Skills:
Skills of sensitivity and listening: Ran reminiscence and creative activity sessions once a week for three weeks with a group of four elderly people for Mole Valley District Council. Created the art installation "Wildlife Document" from the memories and art work collected during these sessions, for Mole Valley's literature festival in 2002.
A keen awareness of equal opportunities: Worked with special needs groups of up to twenty children and young people and their carers for The Holly Lodge Centre in Richmond Park as part of a month long residency. Created works of art from the sessions for permanent display at the centre. Organised and delivered a series of creative activity sessions once a week over the course of two years with a group of up to ten carers for the charity Carers Lewisham. Catered to the different needs and abilities of individuals within the group, enabling all participants to be fully and equally integrated. Arranged for the work to be exhibited.
A good team player: Worked with four artists from The Surgery group to organise and deliver the Nunhead Open exhibition, part of Nunhead Artsweek for six consecutive years. Responsible for creating an image for the publicity. Interacted and communicated effectively preparing the space, meeting and greeting artists and storing and cataloguing their work, curating and hanging the exhibition, invigilating and monitoring visitor numbers.
Socially engaged practice: Sensitively and creatively carried out four one to one reminiscence sessions for The National Trust, then carried out further research from the archives at The Natural History Museum. Used the information gathered to create artworks for the installation art exhibition "Fungos Mungos" that took place in the tea rooms at Polesden Lacey. Ran drop in art workshop sessions for children throughout the exhibition.
Work with children: Planned and developed and ran a series of five art workshops for children aged three to nine at Climbers and Creepers, The Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, on a wildlife theme. Each session lasting half an hour catering for up to twenty children. Worked as Head Gardener at The Horniman Primary School in South East London. Currently working for Green Shoots in NXG running drop in creative activity sessions for under fives on Friday mornings. Worked with Kender primary school to produce a sculpture for their summer carnival on the theme of strength in our unity. Worked with the whole school over three days. Ran four workshops each day lasting one hour each, each catering for thirty children.
Performance art: Performed collaborative art piece "Sol LeWitt Hysteria" at The Royal Academy in front of an audience of two hundred people, confidently performing well in a stressful situation. Devised the Vox Wonder Voice Activated Drawing Machine for Frog Morris' second Thursdays at The Montague Arms. Selected for Witch Night curated by Sarah Sparkes and Sarah Doyle at The Montague Arms on May 13th, 2010 and Chutney Preserves, Chutney 4 - The Animal Fair, part of Camberwell Arts Week 2010. Commissioned to perform Vox Wonder at Butterfly Walk for Camberwell Arts Week opening day and at the opening party in The Crypt at St. Giles Church in the evening.
Facilitation:
A strong awareness of health and safety issues: Familiar with risk assessment and public liability legislation.
Fundraising skills: Awarded grants from various bodies including local councils, Arts Council England and National Lottery Funds.
Timekeeping and organisational skills: Has produced artworks for festivals such as "Radio Days" in Battle, East Sussex. Organised and delivered the visual element of the performance "High Street Surprises". Worked to a strong timetable and kept deadlines. Worked with fellow artist Daniel Lehan to devise, organise and deliver Tea Dance Twist , an afternoon event based on the tea dance, with performances from Mia Dancers, Agent Bhangra, Ophelia Project, Laura Victoria, Mr. Solo, Frog Morris and Tango South London. This event formed part of the grand re-opening of Hatcham Gardens in South East London in May 2010.
Selected Exhibitions
"The Surrealist Tea Party" The Last Days of Decadance, August & September 2010
"The Chelsea Paintings" Fashion and Textile Museum, London May & June 2010
"Plagiarise" Bussey, Peckham June 2009
"Fairy Cakes" Frog on the Green, Nunhead October 2008
"Snippets and Suchlike" The Old Nun's Head October 2007
"Pink Collar" Surgery group show Nunhead 2007
"Salon Art" Hair Disciples solo show Richmond January 2007
"The Surgery Red Christmas Extravaganza" Nunhead 2006
"Paintings @ Number 22" Herne Hill July 2006
"Response" Surgery group show Nunhead June & July 2006
"Zoological" Knapp Gallery Regents Park October 2005
"Friday 13th, Made in France" Surgery Gallery May 2005
"Surgery Invited" Surgery group show Nunhead March 2005
"Vol de Blagnac" solo show France August 2004
"Flight" Kindle group show Toulouse July 2004
"Emerge" Kindle group show Hoxton Dec.2003
"Moda Outsized" at MODA Museum Middlesex April to Aug 2003
"The Serum Show" solo show The Surgery London Feb & March 2003
"Fungus Mungos" solo show at Polesden Lacey October 2003
"Wildlife Document" solo show at Denbies Dorking June 2002
"Daisy, Ivy" at Tricycle Gallery Kilburn April 2000
"Botanical Biographies" solo show at Speck Gallery 1996
"Hidden Histories" Ikon Gallery touring exhibition 1995
"Making Waves" Visionfest Liverpool Museums 1993
Education
8 O'levels and 3 A' Levels
Foundation diploma in Fine Art from Wimbledon School of Art
BA Hons degree in Fine Art from De Montford University
Royal Horticultural Society General Certificate from Woolwich College
Trained in reminiscence at the Age Exchange Theatre Trust in Blackheath
Current driving licence.
Hobbies and interests
Art, gardening, reading, film, theatre, music, dance, ecological issues, ice skating, cycling and swimming.