NMAEA President Phyllis Roybal presents the the Phyllis Kennedy Community Advocacy Award for Art Education to Joanne Kozuchowski. Courtesy photo
Joanne Kozuchowski of the Little Studio on the Mesa with her Phyllis Kennedy Community Advocacy Award for Art Education. Courtesy photo
By RENEE MITSUNAGA
Phyllis Kennedy was truly an advocate for arts education. Her dedication and work in support of arts has helped to perpetuate and advance programs throughout the state for many years.
Joanne Kozuchowski, creator of the Little Studio on the Mesa, has been awarded the Phyllis Kennedy Community Advocacy Award for Art Education honoring her memory. Joanne fulfilled her dream of owning and running a family centered art activity studio by creating the “Little Studio on the Mesa” in White Rock, New Mexico. This creative space is frequented by many children, teens, and adults who want to take part in painting pottery, fused glass, stain-glass, hand-building clay activities and many more. Joanne strives to teach everyone to explore many new art mediums and to make art a part of their everyday lives.
When Joanne was a parent at Chamisa Elementary, her enthusiasm for teaching art prompted her to volunteer to offer an afterschool art club. This venture, recalls Renee Mitsunaga, retired art teacher, may have sparked her interest and began to give her inspiration for making an open space of her own for students to create art.
After purchasing a building in town, she worked tirelessly to renovate the space and convert the empty room into a thriving gathering place. Recently, the community was invited to help celebrate Little Studio on the Mesa’s second anniversary for being a very loved community resource for artists young and old. Visit her website: https://www.littlestudioonthemesa.com/shop/classes/30
Joanne’s Little Studio on the Mesa offers opportunities for community members to meet, gather, and bond over art centered activities. Often times, friends, organizations, families will schedule an event to participate in art. Some of the activities include collaborative murals as the artists plan, design, and fill the space on her walls with amazing compositions.
Jo Lakis, a frequent participant at Little Studio on the Mesa, added: “The community uses her studio to connect with each other. There are birthday parties and mixers. Joanne hosts game nights, date nights, after school art programs, and even yoga classes. She is constantly creating new projects and trying new ideas for the community to make some art to celebrate. She has been invited into the art rooms of our elementary schools to teach and create fused glass with students. Joanne even mobilizes paint your own pottery to events throughout the community. Little Studio on the Mesa was even voted the most Family Friendly business by the community and chamber of commerce.”
Joanne’s energy is awe-inspiring to people of many ages. Her creative space includes a piano to allow the artists to take a break from their work to play a tune. Joanne offered an afterschool program on Wednesday – half days, where students can come to do a project, finish their homework, or both!
Our community has benefitted from Joanne’s civic-mindedness as she integrates art-making while helping to promote the Humane Society’s Adopt-a-Pet campaign. Joanne has also integrated art with science by inviting the Santa Fe Reptile and Bug Museum along with some live specimens. Educators from “Mathamuseum” came to inspire artists through exploring math as it relates to art and design.
Joanne has also served as parent representative on the Fine Arts Education Act – Fine Arts Advisory Council for Los Alamos Public Schools for two years. Her input and insight into our arts program was valuable and well respected by the council members.
Joanne’s support of the arts is reflected through her children who went on to excel at the Los Alamos High School level in marching band, Santa Fe Youth Symphony, and the Jazz Project for her older daughter and ballet, dance, and flag team for the other.
The FAAC looks forward to bringing Joanne’s expertise on board again as a Community Art representative.
