Background
Backes, Joan was born on January 31, 1950 in Milwaukee. Daughter of Gilbert Frances and Jeanne (Vogt) Backes.
Backes, Joan was born on January 31, 1950 in Milwaukee. Daughter of Gilbert Frances and Jeanne (Vogt) Backes.
Bachelor, U. Iowa, 1972; Master of Arts, U. Missouri, 1983; Master of Fine Arts, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 1985.
Adjunct assistan professor University Missouri, Kansas City, 1985—1988. Instructor Kansas City Art Institute, 1988—1994. Visiting professor University Chile, Santiago, 1994—1995.
Adjunct assistant professor Brown University, Providence, since 1997. Resident artist Nova Scotia College Art and Design, Halifax, Canada, 1999, Pori College of Art, Finland, 2001. Adjunct professor Maine College Art Graduate Program, since 2000.
Resident artist Aberdeen Art Museum, Scotland, 1986—1987, National Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland, 1989, Edward Munch Studio Ekely, Oslo, 1991, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 1992. Artist-in-residence Ragdale Foundation, 1998—1999, 2000, Hafnarborg Institute Culture and Fine Art, Iceland, 1998—1999, 2000, 02. Visiting artist Maine College Art Graduate Program, Portland, 2000—2001, University Massachusetts/Dartmouth University, 2001, Boston University, 2003, Hafnarborg Institute, 2003, Beloit College, Wisconsin, 2004, Wright Museum Art, Beloit, 2004, Rhode Island College, Providence, 2005.
Member selections committee Fulbright Senior Scholar award. Visiting professor Brown University, Providence, since 2006, Nova Scotia College Art and Design, Halifax, Canada, 2007.
Board trustees Ragdale Foundation. Board directors Sarah Doyle Gallery Brown University, Providence. Member College Art Association, Kansas City Artists Coalition, Phi Kappa Phi.
Married Thomas Deeg Sills, June 14, 1975. Children: Joseph Backes Sills, Elizabeth Backes Sills.