by Victoria Howell
Artist Joy Peterson Snodgrass lives a quiet life in Stevensville, in a home filled with a prodigious body of work. Now in her late 70’s, Snodgrass has been creating art for most of her life, and her home is a virtual museum of her work. Dozens of original paintings line the walls of every room in her house, documenting the beauty of nature as filtered through Snodgrass’s creativity, mostly in watercolors but also fiber arts and other mediums.
Snodgrass said that she came from a musical family and was pushed to become a musician but that wasn’t the right fit for her so she chose art, partly to appease her parents. She received her degree in art at Brigham Young University in 1972.
Artist Joy Peterson Snodgrass in her living room in Stevensville. Her home is filled with her work, stretching over decades. The art will be for sale during the Artists Along the Bitterroot Studio Tour. Photo by Victoria Howell.
Snodgrass moved to Alaska in 1976 and was there for 20 years, including when the Exxon Valdez oil spill happened, an event that had a profound effect on her. She worked at the Otter Rescue Center in 1989, helping with the rehabilitation of sea otters. She takes pride in the fact that her work resulted in the publication of a scientific paper, “Factors Affecting Perinatal Survival in Captive Sea Otters During Oil Spill Rehabilitation,” co-authored with Terri Williams, PHD and Pam Tuami, DMV. The paper was presented along with Snodgrass’s educational video on sea other birthing at the annual conference of the International Assn. of Aquatic Animal Medicine in Marineland, Florida in 1991. She was also deeply influenced by Native American mysticism and her artwork during that time expresses the natural beauty of Alaska as well as these other themes.
“Every painting is a story,” said Snodgrass. “I just paint stuff that I do.”
Snodgrass has always drawn inspiration from the natural world around her. She moved to Stevensville in 1996, where new influences like the birds at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, and cattle and horses throughout the valley have made it onto her canvasses. Snodgrass showed her work for 10 years at LA Design, a prestigious Missoula gallery that also represented Larry Pirnie.
“The mountains, landscapes, old buildings, churches, animals and the water reflections and cattails full of birds inspire many paintings,” said Snodgrass. “I’ve travelled and painted throughout Montana. I believe my color language and bold strokes comes from observing endless abstract patterns, lighting effects, and exceptional shapes in Alaska’s atmosphere and Montana’s Big Sky country. Wherever it may be, I have to live my work to do it.”
Joy Peterson Snodgrass at work in her home studio in Stevensville. Photo by Victoria Howell.
Snodgrass has received numerous awards by national jurors and has exhibited in numerous statewide juried shows. In 1996 she was honored by the Valdez Museum Retrospective Exhibition in which they purchased pieces for their permanent collection. In Montana, her art has been displayed at the Daly Mansion, Costanza Artisan Gallery and the Missoula Airport, as well as LA Design.
Despite some health challenges, Snodgrass has no plans to stop painting.
“I’ve had a bit of a rough time, but I’m still painting,” she said. “I’ll always be a painter.”
Fortunately, the public will have a chance to view and purchase her work during the upcoming Artists Along the Bitterroot Studio Tour, October 17-19. Her studio is located at 423 Riverside Avenue in Stevensville. Hours for the tour are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and there is no admission fee. Find complete details at www.ArtistsAlongTheBitterroot.com.
“You never really get to where you want to be – art is an evolving process,” said Snodgrass, “a never ending struggle to be free to express one’s self… learning shapes, colors, and essences of things can be explored in a million ways.”