A few from our group watching as Jo demonstrates

We have a small tapestry group in Kansas that gets together occasionally. Earlier this month, we met at Jo Morasco’s studio.

Jo has been weaving tapestries for many years; I’ll just take a wild guess and say somewhere around 50 years? I’m sure for many of us, it was a real treat to see her work space (and beautifully decorated home full of art, I might add). Her art is displayed in various rooms throughout her home.

In addition to her tapestries, she has done a number of sequin works.

Jo actually has two homes (with a 5 foot Shannock in both). She lives here in Kansas during the summer months and in the Bahamas the remainder of the year. She only recently inherited the second loom for summer weaving; when I first met her, she would weave in the Bahamas and do finishings and design work while in Kansas. Which strikes me as a highly disciplined and organized artist!

Jo also has a 2 foot Shannock on the other side of the studio. Shameless plug coming… She’s using it for sampling Soumak techniques as she works through my Many Faces of Soumak course. 😊

Soumak techniques on the 2 foot Shannock

At the heart of Jo’s work is a strong desire to express her concerns. Environmental. Toxins. Catastrophes and Devastation.

She’s been in a couple of group shows in the Bahamas where the environment and climate change were the theme: “One Goat and Three Birds” being the most recent. “One Goat and Three Birds” was a large undertaking and one packed with emotion; 3 years in the making. It was an exhibition with two other artists, Chantal Bethel and Laurie Tuchel in response to the devastating Hurricane Dorian.

You may recognize the significance of the chosen title phrase : “One Goat and Three Birds.” If not, you can read about it here.

Jo Morasco, "One Goat and Three Birds", 24" x 102"

I asked Jo to comment on where she was and how she felt when Dorian struck. How it personally affected her:

“When Hurricane Dorian hit Grand Bahama the first of Sept. 2019, we were still in KS, generally not leaving for the island until mid Oct. We have endured two hurricanes (Wilma and Sandy) while on the island, and were safe, but scared. The sound of the wind is really overwhelming. The house is totally shuttered with awnings on all the windows, and corrugated metal on the doors. There is no electricity, water flow is slow, and you are in the dark except for lanterns and candles. We do not have a generator. Being in KS during Dorian, all I could do was worry, and try to contact friends. Once it passed, numerous neighbors and friends stopped by our home to make sure all was well. We did not have damage, but trees were down, but that happens during all hurricanes.”

Jo Morasco, "Trees, Post Dorian", 36" by 57"

In the weeks that followed, Jo drove east to view the devastation, and took many photos of the downed trees and homes.

“Once we were able to return, we worked with World Central Kitchen delivering food mainly to those on the east end of the island. We also worked with a Presbyterian Church to package and deliver food in town. The YMCA Second Chance Store, took in clothing and household supplies and dispensed them as quickly as possible.”

Chantal and Laurie approached her a few months later, and suggested that the three of them put together an exhibit.

Jo Morasco, "Silent Witnesses" consists of 8 tapestries. Each is framed and approximately 12" x 16".

Jo said “We spent many hours discussing who would do what… Obviously, our concern was the environment, but also, the devastation to the island, and to so many who were lost: there were hundreds. I portrayed the devastation on the land, the homes, and the ocean. Laurie depicted people, and Chantal the spirit. Remember, the world also learned of Covid early 2020, and the island was totally locked down. What else did we have to do but work?”

Jo Morasco, "Gyre or Ocean Trash", 47" by 27"

She had these 5 works shown here in the exhibit. If you’d like to read further, do visit her website. You can also click on any of the photos to learn more about each work.

In addition, there is a very nice catalogue for the show. I was unable to find a link, but Jo said it can be purchased through Current Gallery at Bahmar Resort, Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas.

A Studio Visit With Jo Morasco