Bio

After a distinguished career in higher education as an art professor and arts administrator, Jo Carol retired recently from Anderson University to pursue her creative work full-time and, on occasion, return to teach part-time. She earned a BFA in Painting & Drawing from the University of Georgia and the MFA, also in Painting & Drawing, from Clemson University. 

Like many teaching artists, Jo Carol is a perpetual student, later earning a PhD from the University of Georgia.

She has been recognized on campus and in the state for her teaching excellence as the recipient of the Boles Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Governor’s Distinguished Professor Citation (twice), and as the SC Art Education Association Higher Education Art Educator of the Year (on two occasions). In 2025, she was the recipient of the Thomas Hatfield Lifetime Achievement Award from the SC Art Education Association.

A member of the Artbomb Studios, a non-profit artist cooperative based in Greenville, SC, Jo Carol maintains an active exhibition record as a painter, mixed media artist, and photographer. Her work has been included in over 200 invitational solo and group exhibitions, over 75 juried shows, and is included in numerous private collections throughout the country and abroad. Recent notable exhibitions include the Museum of Design Atlanta and the SVA Chelsea Gallery in NYC.