About

Joanna Brown is a graphic artist and painter living in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City in 1991. After graduation, she pursued a career in graphic arts, starting in magazine publishing, and eventually settling into Carestio & Quinn, a small advertising  agency in Philadelphia. She worked there for 3 years as an art director producing brochures, advertisements and marketing materials.

After studying briefly in Israel in 1999, Joanna decided to make aliyah. She worked in Jerusalem at Versaware, Technologies, a start-up involved in developing e-books and online encyclopedias and 2BVentures, a venture capital firm. She designed print materials and websites.

After getting married and starting a family in 2002, Joanna worked from home in Jerusalem as a freelancer. In 2004, she and her family moved to Philadelphia where she became a full-time mother.

In addition to her graphic arts career, Joanna grew up in a family of professional artists ranging from painting and sculpture to graphic design and illustration. She learned to draw in her grandfather’s studio with his love, guidance and professional materials. Even after his death when she was 5 years old, she continued to spend time in the studio that her grandmother, a sculptor, kept intact for many years and loved to share. In the last 10 years Joanna has been working her way back to her roots in the fine arts and now paints in oil, acrylic and pastel. She also paints on her iPad Pro, a great way to work at home when not in the studio making a mess. She has shown work in the Jewish Art Salon’s exhibit The Invisible Jew, the Mill Studios annual Open House, and every day on her Instagram account @joannadionbrown. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and 3 teenagers.

For commissions and prints please contact Joanna at joannadionbrownart@gmail.com. Check Instagram for her most recent work and updates @joannadionbrown.