Her Story
About Joanne
Joanne Gigliotti is a visual artist based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States, whose work centers on batik painting, ceramic tile design, and mixed-media printmaking. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, Design, and Sculpture, she later earned a Master of Education in Art Education from Pennsylvania State University. Her early experiences in museum-based art education in Pittsburgh helped shape a lifelong commitment to both creative practice and arts instruction, which later expanded into teaching roles and leadership positions within major cultural institutions.
Throughout her career, Gigliotti has worked across studio practice, arts education, and arts administration. She served as Director of Studio Arts and later Head of the Visual Arts Department in the Smithsonian Associates program at the Smithsonian Institution, where she taught batik, design, and professional practices for artists. She also directed the HUB Craft Centre at Penn State, managing large-scale creative programming and student engagement. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes experimentation, accessibility, and helping artists develop both technical skill and sustainable creative careers.
As a practicing artist, Gigliotti is known for hand-painted batik works on fabric and ceramic tiles, as well as large-scale commissioned murals that translate her designs into architectural installations. She is the founder and artist behind Batik-Designs, through which she produces fine art objects, jewelry designs, and decorative tile collections. Her work has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and public spaces, including major commissioned installations, and she continues to develop new collections that bridge traditional batik methods with contemporary design applications.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Joanne
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it's just things that you learn on the way up. I had a lot of love in the family, but everybody was like, you know, do it. If it doesn't work, do it again, you know, until you get something to it. I always say, sometimes I say, I'm persistent. Well, my daughter's relentless, so I know that it just must expand as the time goes on. It's about not giving up and keeping going even when things don't work out.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I received was just to keep going and not give up. I had a lot of love in the family, and everybody encouraged me - do it, and if it doesn't work, do it again until you get something to work. That persistence has been key. I'm persistent, though my daughter is relentless, so I know it just expands as time goes on. It's about learning things on the way up and not letting setbacks stop you.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Chart your own course and don't be afraid to make your artwork yours - it's supposed to be individual, not copied from somebody else, so you have to chart your own path. Don't be afraid to do that, and don't tell everybody what you're doing before you do it, because a lot of naysayers are out there saying things like 'how would you do that? Why would you even think of that?' Keep your own counsel. Don't make excuses, just go forward with it. And if you get bumped down for some reason, just move on. I have this New York Times thing I've been saying recently: don't go away mad, just go away. Just move on when people try to hold you back from something.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is still about cutting your own course and not being afraid to make your work individually yours. You have to chart your own path and not be afraid to do that. Don't tell everybody what you're doing before you do it, because there are a lot of naysayers out there who will question you. It's about the individual not making excuses, but just going forward with it. When you get bumped down for some reason, you have to keep your own counsel and just move on. Don't go away mad, just go away and move on from people who try to hold you back.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Hard work and persistence are most important to me. You have to expect some setbacks and just keep going. I'm persistent - my daughter is relentless, so I know it expands as time goes on. It's about doing the work, and if it doesn't work out, doing it again until you get something to work. You learn things on the way up, and you can't let obstacles stop you. You have to keep your own counsel and not make excuses, just move forward. When people try to hold you back, don't go away mad, just go away and keep moving on.
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