Jo-Anne L. Bates

Jo-Anne Bates is a prolific artist and art educator who has shown her artwork at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Carnegie Museum of Art and numerous regional and national galleries. Jo-Anne has developed a process for creating mixed media monotype prints that has allowed her to try many different methods of using color, shape and text. 

Recently texture has lead Jo-Anne in the direction of a much different way to develop more colorful abstract prints. Jo-Anne states "My work is often folded, torn and frequently printed with text. It continues to reflect my interest in color, shape, form and language. Exploring and experimenting continues to inform the final outcome which has been referred to as multi-colored folded cloth or philosophical roadmaps. My experience as an African American mother, grandmother and teacher has all contributed to influence the direction of my work. It's taken me in this long journey of discovery in creating the work I refer to as abstract mixed media

monotype prints."

Along with many other awards and accomplishments Jo-Anne was selected for the Sweetwater Art Center Movuno Award; both the National Art Education Association and the Pennsylvania Outstanding Secondary Art EducationAward; Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Master Artist of The Year 2017; Friends of Ar Purchase Award, Pittsburgh Public Schools; Outstanding Art Educator Award-Pratt Institute; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Outstanding Artist of the Year Award; Pittsburgh Board of Education Distinguished Teacher; the Western Pennsylvania Print Association Award.

Recently Jo-Anne was honored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust by a retrospective exhibition of her artwork called Exploration of Color 2.0. In addition the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh was proud to present Jo-Anne Bates, artist and philanthropist, with an exhibition A Frame of Reference.