COURTESY JOANNA HENRY

Joanna Henry’s creative skills earned her a spot in the ArtPop Street Gallery class of 2021. It's the second time Harvey was picked for ArtPop, who was named to the initiative's 2017 class.

Joanna Henry is trying to figure out how to make art and reach an audience.

The Winthrop University alumnus is one of 20 artists selected for the ArtPop Street Gallery class of 2021, but 2020 has thrown her for a loop. The unexpected loss of a family member (not related to COVID-19) put her in a dark place. Art helped her cope.

“I really didn’t know what to do,” Henry said. “I didn’t know how to let it out, or express the emotions I was feeling. I went back to what I knew, which is painting and drawing. I kind of submerged myself in that to where I didn’t come out of my room for a couple days. I needed that alone time to kind of process my feelings and ideas that were running through my head and figure out, ‘where do I go from this point now?’”

Henry, who was previously selected in 2017, revealed her 2020 pick provided a renewed sense of validation.

Henry, who studied painting and drawing at Winthrop, prefers the traditional approach to art, but went outside of her norm for the ArtPop submission. Her work features a woman exuding confidence from her Afro to her large gold hoop earrings to golden sunglasses. It was created digitally.

“That was one of my first attempts at digital painting or drawing,” Henry said. “The whole process of transferring what I had drawn out in my sketch pad onto my iPad was really fun to do, because the tools and the programs they have on there, it’s amazing. You can do so many different textures and colors. It was me having fun, but also trying to stay current with what the new trends are in art, as well as trying to merge two different mediums together for me.”

ArtPop Street Gallery is a nonprofit designed to provide communities with better access to art. Since 2014, 147 artists have been selected to participate in the Charlotte program—ArtPop has taken place across the country as well. Henry is joined by fellow 2017 alumnae Caroline Rust and Kenny Nguyen in the class of 2021.

The program also expanded to include one high school senior, who receives a scholarship to study art in college. Katherine Heilig of Gaston Day School is the 2021 recipient. ArtPop provides $3.3 million in advertising space through Adams Outdoor Advertising, Charlotte Center City Partners and Awedience Media through billboards, Uptown newsstands, mixed-use development digital displays and digital displays at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Artists also attend Artists U, which teaches business basics and best practices for artists.
“Having opportunities like, it really helps us creatives stay in touch with our community, and it also shows how much support we do have when we do reach out for help, because creatives, we find it hard sometimes to reach out to our fellow makers,” Henry said. “This opportunity is really beneficial for us, and I am really glad that it has been going on for so long, because it helps us gain exposure for our own work, and it also helps us make the connections that we need to survive, especially in times like this.”  

“We are thrilled to welcome another incredibly talented class into the #ArtPopCLT program,” Founder and Executive Director of ArtPop Street Gallery Wendy Hickey said in a statement. “Now, more than ever, people are turning to the arts during these unprecedented times and we are honored to continue coloring the city with local artwork. None of this would be possible without the generous support of the community, donors and our partners.”

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