Joffa Kerr, b. 1935, Nacogdoches, Texas (United States)

 

 

Joffa’s loose, impressionistic style conveys the playful gestures, antics and attitudes of her wild and domestic animal subjects, creating unique, whimsical personalities in her work.  She searches for the feeling, emotion and essence of the animal she wants to convey.  Her pieces often invite a physical touch and bring a smile to the viewer.

 

 

A native Texan with an Oklahoma husband, family and education, Joffa has been an artist in various mediums since she was a child.  Her formal education was at the University of Oklahoma where she studied interior design and art.  In 1982 Joffa began a serious art career and has since studied anatomy with several artists. She has attended a series of Scottsdale Artist School courses with noted sculptors Ken Bunn, Sherry Sander, Kent Ullberg and Glenna Goodacre.

Southwest Art dedicated its November 1997 issue to all women in the arts, and singled out five women including Joffa as their first-ever Notable Women of the Year.  

 

 

Joffa and her husband Bill reside in Wilson, Wyoming and are true friends of the arts.  They are co-founders of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming.  They received the 1997 Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award for their years of support of the arts and the development of the National Museum of Wildlife Art.  Joffa has also served as an Oklahoma State Regent for Higher Education and a Trustee for the National Wildflower Research Center in Austin, Texas.