Jo Williams to give program Early Modernism in Denton: Texas Woman’s University Women Artists 1920s – 1970s in Denton July 16
By Robyn Lorraine Lee, Manager, Denton County Museums
Jul 13, 2010
Print this page
Email this article

On Friday, July 16, 2010 at 12:15 – 1 p.m. in the Commissioners Courtroom of the Courthouse-on-the-Square, Denton County Museums proudly presents Jo Williams who will give her program entitled Early Modernism in Denton: Texas Woman’s University Women Artists 1920s – 1970s.  The program is free, and there is plenty of seating available.  The Courthouse is handicapped-accessible.

A native Texan, Jo Williams has spent 36 years living in Denton.  During that time she graduated from North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas. was a public school teacher of art, and she has taught art privately for 30 of those years.  She and her husband, Johnny, have been recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the Denton arts community with the prestigious Community Arts Recognition Award (CARA) in 2003. 

Jo serves on the Public Art Committee for the City of Denton, and has been a very active Chair of that committee, involved in the addition of many works of art for the citizens of and visitors to Denton during the last few years.  Jo is beloved in Denton for her watercolors, but she is also recognized nationally because she created an ornament selected for display on the White House Christmas Tree in December, 2009.  She retired as Executive Director of the Visual Arts Society (VAST) in January, 2010, but before she stepped down, she was curator for an exhibition entitled Pioneers in Modernism, Texas Woman’s University Artists 1920s – 1970s.

Drawing from the research for that exhibition, she will present her program Early Modernism in Denton: Texas Woman’s University Women Artists 1920s – 1970s.  She will talk about her experience curating the exhibition, and present some biographical highlights on each of the eight women artists included in it.  These women were instrumental in bringing the Modernist art movement to Denton, and to Texas. 

Jo will show images of their work and discuss the influence of these extraordinary women.  For more information, call the Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum:  940-349-2850.