Joy Pratt
Social Justice Advocate. Artist. Curator.
Social Justice Advocate. Artist. Curator.
Joy was born on the near west side of Columbus in a neighborhood named "The Bottoms," in the Capital City of Ohio, now known as Franklinton, on the Scioto River. She was raised by her mother and father with a meager lifestyle but abundant with love and experiences. Her extended family noted Joy's bright and creative mind and ensured that she received a strong Catholic education, which she furthered at university at a time when women were just beginning to be accepted in academia and the workforce.
After Joy received her Bachelors of Fine Arts and while pursuing her Masters Degree in Fine Arts at Ohio University, she began her career as a curator opening a gallery near campus that focused on student's art .
It did not take long for Joy to realize that there was something she had more passion for than creating art, and that was social justice. Shifting gears in her career, Joy became a licensed social worker and advocated for the disenfranchised of the community. Joy's passion for people was the foundation that built her a thriving career protecting and ensuring the civil rights of the most vulnerable.
Joy's love for art never faded so although she had a demanding career she still made time as a curator assisting and opening galleries in Fort Lauderdale, Grange Insurance Audobon Center, and most recently The Harbor Community Center in Buckeye Lake.
Through these years Joy prolifically created art and was often commissioned to create pieces for family, friends, and strangers alike. Joy has a studio where she still feels inspired to share her emotions and love for nature and memories through her paintings.
With her love for art and people, Joy easily connects with artists and art enthusiasts. In the fall of 2022, The Harbor Community Center, a local organization near her summer cottage, recognizing her wide reach in the art community and her ability to bring people together, invited her to be their Curator and Coordinator of Art Exhibits at their center. Since accepting the position, Joy has been a powerful force in the art community in Central Ohio, organizing and presenting eight art exhibits as of the summer of 2023. This has fostered the growth of art and afforded artists to thrive as she introduced their works to art admirers who now own original pieces of art they connect with.
In the summer of 2023, Joy decided to remodel her cottage and lake retreat of over 20 years, and ultimately turned her cottage walls into a personal exhibit of her favorite work. Soon after she secured a designer, her home was chosen to be part of the lake community's tour of homes. A very fitting honor for a pioneer in the social justice movement who put her art second while she helped right the wrongs in the world.
As a highly prolific artist, Joy created many pieces that meant a great deal to her. During one of the initial remodel meetings with D
designer Angela Centofanti, Angela suggested the cottage honor her by hanging an art exhibit throughout the cottage.
Joy was just a young girl when she began visiting and spending time at Buckeye Lake. The memories of times with her family were such an important part of who she was, Joy purchased her current cottage over twenty years ago for all of her family to enjoy.
A love of gardening and an immense appreciation of beautiful plants and flowers has led Joy to build a glorious backyard garden and quaint flower boxes that adorn the two street side views of her cottage. Butterflies and hummingbirds abound!
Joy has been gifted many pieces from friends who have enjoyed the space and wanted to put their own stamp on this special retreat offered to them for a get-away. This set of chairs were given to Joy from her dear friend David who bought and brought them from Chicago. David still enjoys sitting in them watching the birds in the garden while visiting Joy.
The cottage looked very different when Joy purchased it over twenty year ago, however there were pieces that Joy wanted to keep and incorporate into her living at the cottage. This set of yellow chairs are so unique and everyone's favorite pieces in the cottage so Joy instructed Angela to design the remodel around these chairs.
When the sun goes down and all is quiet around the lake, Joy enjoys her special time with her sweet dog, Wyatt, in a very calming and relaxing space. Joy also enjoys entertaining and special time with friends so she often invites them to enjoy the newly remodeled space to relax and restore in her magical space at the lake.
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