Focusing primarily on traditional subjects of landscape and portraiture in a naturalistic style, her works are designed to tell a story.
Victoria Moon Joyce began her artistic practice in childhood, drawing life size portraits in oil pastels and carving her name in inappropriate wooden surfaces. It was a challenge to keep her hands still and she had a habit of slipping chalk from classroom blackboards and carving objects with a penknife hidden under the desk while listening to the teacher (pity the janitors!). At home she would line these mini-sculptures up and imagine story lines to accompany their creation. These delinquent habits later matured into commercial illustration and graphic work for various publications and several years as a sign painter in Yellowknife, NWT. She was drawn to serigraphy and water colours – having her first solo exhibition in 1983 in Yellowknife NWT and she has contributed to group shows and competitions over the decades in various cities.
Moon completed a BA in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo (1976) and taught high school Fine Arts for a number of years. An MA and PhD in education supported her teaching in a number of Indigenous teacher education programs at Queens University, Nunavut Arctic College, and University of New Brunswick.
Throughout her multiple disciplinary career(s) she has maintained a studio and continued to study from other artists and institutions of art education. Life circumstances (and some good choices) have brought her to New Brunswick where she has been able to cultivate a more full time art practice.
Focusing primarily on traditional subjects of landscape and portraiture in a naturalistic style, her works are designed to tell a story. In landscapes, her eye is captured by a motion, an interruption, or a constellation of atmospheric elements that provoke an emotional and visceral response. This drives her compositions. Like a magpie drawn to the shiny and new, Moon pays attention to the ever-changing land and seascapes and the ephemeral moments of the human body engaged in living. Each work invites the viewer into a story or a curiosity that invites speculation, telling just enough to draw the eye back again and again.
Currently her work is represented by:
CV
Education
Academic Degrees
Ph.D. (2003) and M.A. (1993) Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Adult Education and Sociology and Equity Studies in Education.
B.Ed. (1977) Queen's University. Fine Arts Education.
B.A. (1976) University of Waterloo. Fine Arts and Art History.
Training
Maggie Rose 2017 and 2018. Sunbury Shores, St. Andrew’s, NB. Mastering colour and advanced oil painting techniques.
Glenn Priestly 2005 and 2006. Life drawing and painting.
Alexandra Flood 2009. Glazing techniques.
Avenue Road School of the Arts. Toronto, ON. 1998 and 1999. Portrait painting. Instructor John Viljoen.
Toronto School of Art (TSA). Toronto, ON. 1997. Portraiture and life drawing with mixed media. Instructor Megan Williams.
Kay Hill-Tout Hargreaves. University of Victoria. Acrylic painting and contemporary art history. July-August 1972.
Exhibitions
Solo
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Working Hands. February 15-March 9, 2019.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Stranded. September 9 – October 2, 2016.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Rivers and Tides. March 16 – April 6, 2012.
Touchstone Gallery Yellowknife, NT. Northern Life. May 31 – June 8, 1983.
Group
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Nutcracker Tea. December 4 – December 27, 2020.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. The Nine Muses. February 21 – March 22, 2020.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Ode to Fredericton. June 19 – July 11, 2020.
Government House. Fredericton, NB. Endeavours Pride Heroes Project. Feb 4 - March 26, 2019.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. The Art of Water. September 28-October 28, 2018.
Sunbury Shores St Andrews, NB. Pride Showcase. June 8-28, 2018.
New Brunswick Art Bank Acquisitions 2017-18. Eight exhibitions in New Brunswick and Maine. Various dates 2018-2019.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Painting Realism. October 6-19, 2017.
Sunbury Shores St Andrews, NB. Instructors Showcase. Oct 7-Nov. 4, 2016.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. A Paddler’s View. June 6-29, 2014.
New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, Fredericton, NB. Alter-Ego: Tales from Beyond the Classroom. Society for Education Through Art (CSEA) National Exhibition. October 13-15, 2011.
Government House. Fredericton, NB. Through Eastern Eyes. July 1-29, 2010.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Vistas of Eastern Canada. 2010.
Gallery 78 Fredericton, NB. Field of Vision. July, 2009 and 2011.
Fine Arts Department, Hamilton Public Library. Hamilton, ON. Broken Fence Society. Group exhibition. July 1998.
Brock University, Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. St. Catherines, ON. Broken Fence Society. Group exhibition. September 1997.
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. Toronto. Contemporary Sacred Art. 1995.
XYZ Gallery, Toronto. Postcard Project 1995. Exhibition in collaboration with the Fourth World Conference on Women - Beijing, China.
Awards
ArtsNB - Career Development: Professionalization and Promotion. 2020.
Diane London Award 2017– The award is presented to a local musician, artist, or arts-related woman with a creative spirit and talent, who gives of themselves to the community and who exemplifies the spirit and character of Diane London.
The Alan Blizzard Award for Collaborative Teaching. 2006. A national award jointly given to the faculty of Renaissance College, University of New Brunswick.
AIDS Awareness Week Toronto, ON. 1991. Chosen by the AIDS Committee of Toronto to submit a design representing Ontario organizations in the national poster competition for their annual campaign.
Residencies
Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA) St. Andrews, NB. August 24 – September 21 2021.
Publications
Created Here. Issue no. 16, June 2021. “A Queer Elder’s Devotion to the Moral Imperative of Beauty.”
The Fiddlehead. Issue no. 283, Spring 2020. Fredericton, NB. Magazine cover art.
Take it Outside – Toolkit. 2015 - 2016. Under One Sky Friendship Centre. Fredericton, NB. A manual for land-based learning in the Aboriginal Head Start programs for centres across Canada. Also logo design, brochures, posters, photos, illustrations, and display boards.
What Works: Innovative Strategies for Teaching Art. 2011. “I’ve Been Framed: Using Narrative and Metaphor to Represent Ourselves.” M. Blatherwick and H. Pearse (Eds.). Victoria, BC:Canadian Society for Education Through Art.
ArtWork. Toronto, ON. 1997. Photos for magazine publications.
The Canadian Congress of Learning Opportunities for Women (CCLOW). Toronto, ON. “Making Connections: Literacy and EAL Curriculum from a Feminist Perspective.” Cover art, photography and illustrations for book of curriculum materials. 1996.
Herizons: Women’s News and Feminist Views. 8:(4) Winnipeg, MB. Cover art. 1995.
Teaching
Workshops and Critiques
Sunbury Shores – Acrylic painting. St Andrews, NB. October 21-22, 2017.
Fredericton Society of Artists. Drawing. March 28-29, 2015. Colour. May 11-12, 2013. Fredericton, NB
Fredericton Society of Artists. Formal critiques of members’ work, Government House, Fredericton, NB. Nov 2010, Nov 2012, March 2014, March 2015, April 2016, Feb. 2018.
Art courses – Post-Secondary
Nunavut Arctic College – Jewellery and Metalwork Program. 434-115 “Drawing and Design 1” Iqaluit, NU. October 13-24, 2014.
Nunavut Arctic College and University of Regina. Adjunct Professor. “Introductory Survey to Inuit Art History.” B.Ed. program. Cape Dorset, Kugluktuk, and Pond Inlet. Jan to May, 2011.
Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre – University of New Brunswick. Instructor ED3211, “Introduction to Art Education.” Summer Sessions 2009 and 2012.
St. Thomas University. Instructor EDUC 5453, “Images and the Imagination,” Fine Arts and Education. July 2012.
Renaissance College – University of New Brunswick. (Instructor). RCLP 1031, “Images and Insights”- a course in visual literacy. 2006 to 2009.
Manitoba Arts Council. Manitoba. "Artists in the Schools" program. 1985 to 1993.
St. Mary's High School. Kitchener, ON. Teacher of grades 9, 12, and 13 Art and Art History. 1977-79.
Memberships
Fredericton Arts Alliance
Arts Link NB
Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, NB.
Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre, St. Andrew's, NB.