Juanita Yoder
 
 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

 

For two decades, artist Juanita Yoder has painted large scale installations on silk for liturgical, healthcare, and hospitality environments. Yoder has been commissioned by such notable institutions as Princeton University Chapel, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Arizona, and Central Park Hotel in Sighisoara, Romania. She was awarded a BENE Award for Devotional Art for her commission of the fifteen stations of the cross for St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Glendale, Arizona. Yoder was honored in 2012 with an Alumni Achievement Award from Christopher Mennonite High School in Lansdale, PA. She is formally trained as a painter with a B.A. in art from Goshen College, Indiana, and an M.A. from Eastern Illinois University where she was awarded a full scholarship and a teaching assistantship.

Artist Juanita Yoder

Yoder holds a teaching certificate from The College of New Jersey which she earned in order to teach high school art at Emily Fisher Charter School, a title one school in Trenton. Yoder was deeply moved by the students and their lives, creativity and artwork. She designed and implemented an entirely new and effective art curriculum tailored to the students which adheres to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Requirements. The artwork filling the hallways of the school was a testament to the creativity overflowing from the students. Students were able to participate in exhibits in local venues, including the Trenton City Museum. Unfortunately, this effective school was closed by the state in June of 2012.

In Spring of 2010 Juanita Yoder had the opportunity to participate in a group pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy and Laverna, Italy. The overwhelming smell of jasmine, the gorgeous stone and terra cotta, and the panorama of the valley provided a place for Yoder to explore small, personal works. This experience continues to influence her spiritual practice and artwork.

Collaboration is a welcome experience for Juanita Yoder. Collaboration with kite artists makes it possible to create 3-D suspended works and kinetic pieces used in processions. These have been used for major events in the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., the St. James Cathedral, Seattle, Washington, and the Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, New Jersey, among many others.

Yoder offers her work in glass by partnering with other studios. This exploration has involved a trip to Derix Glass Studios in Germany, and a completed project with Meltdown Glass Studios in Phoenix, Arizona, the studio created by artist BJ Katz. Four hand-painted art glass windows were completed for a private residence in Elkins Park, Philadelphia area, in Spring 2012.

She has collaborated with fashion designers, including Davide of Seventh Avenue, New York, and Julie Musselman of Pennsylvania. Her hand painted silk-rayon velvet was incorporated into one-of-a-kind garment designs. 

In the past few years, Yoder has given specific attention to expanding technique and personal expression in her work by creating small pieces in oil and watercolor. She began experimenting in acrylic and oil painting techniques which led to more major works on panel and linen.

She has been a participant and presenter at national conferences such as Form Reform, Interfaith Forum of Art and Architecture, University of Dallas Ministry and Liturgy, Cathedral Ministry Conference, Association of Consultants for Liturgical Space (former board member), National Pastoral Musicians, Mennonite World Conference, Presbyterian Musicians at Montreat, and Southwest Liturgical Conference.

 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND COMMISSIONS

 

"Fountain," Kinetic Mobile of Paintings on Silk
Princeton University Chapel
Princeton, NJ
April 2020

“Invocation” Eight Liturgical Paintings on Silk
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick, NJ
September 2019

“A Bend in the River” Processional Paintings on Silk
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN
May 2019

Paintings on Silk, Exhibitor
Religious Education Congress
Annaheim, CA
March 2019

Paintings on Silk Featured
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Conference
Annual Meeting
Washington DC
January 2019

Presenter
Southwest Liturgical Conference
Houston, TX
January 2019

Six Liturgical Seasonal Sets of Paintings on Silk
Eighth Street Mennonite Church
Goshen, IN
October 2018

Paintings on Silk, Exhibitor
Religious Education Congress
Annaheim, CA
March 2018

Paintings on Silk Featured
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Conference
Annual Meeting
Washington DC
January 2018

“Song of Seraphim” Four Processional Paintings on Silk
Georgian Court University
Lakewood, NJ
May 2017

Paintings on Silk, Exhibitor
Religious Education Congress
Annaheim, CA
March 2017

“Jacob's Ladder” Suspended Mobile Painting on Silk
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick, NJ
April 2016

Presenter
Southwest Liturgical Conference
San Antonio, TX
January 2016

“Streams of Mercy” Processional Painting on Silk for the "Year of Mercy"
St. James Cathedral
Seattle, WA
December 2015

Presenter
Mennonite World Conference
Harrisburg, PA
July 2015

Painting on Silk for Atrium
Otto Corporate Headquarters
Arcola, IL
June 2015

Presenter
National Cathedral Ministry Conference
Minneapolis, Minnesota
January 2015

Painting on Silk Featured
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Conference
Washington DC
January 2015

Presenter
National Cathedral Ministry Conference
Minneapolis, Minnesota
January 2015

Processional Kites in Basilica of National Shrine
National Pastoral Musician Conference
Washington DC
July 2013

Four Large Scale Paintings on silk
Central Park Hotel, Boutique Style Hotel
Sighisoara, Romania
May 2013

Sanctuary and Gallery Exhibit
Church of the Holy Spirit
Harleysville, Pennsylvania
April 2013

Large Paintings and Processional Kites for Worship Space
Southwest Liturgical Conference
Albuquerque, New Mexico
January 2013

Alumni of the Year, Achievement Award Recipient
Christopher Dock Mennonite High School
Harleysville, Pennsylvania
November 2012

“Elements” Art Glass Windows
Private residence of Lamar Freed and Susan Moyer
' Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
May 2012

Hershberger Gallery, Goshen College
“Transfigure” exhibit of personal works
Goshen, Indiana
March 2012

Abstract Expressions Contemporary Art Gallery
Exhibit along with Linda Gebhard and Dara Altar
Mount Holly, New Jersey
September 2011

Good Shepherd Catholic Community
Three seasonal Pentecost paintings on silk
Colleyville, Texas
September 2011

Retreat for the Association of Consultants for Liturgicl Space
Slide presentation of paintings
Scottsdale, Arizona
June 2011

Meltdown Glass, BJ Katz
“World Without End” painting on silk
Phoenix, Arizona
June 2011

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center
Grouping of paintings on silk for chapel
Gilbert, Arizona
October 2010

Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
Processional Gonfalon, painting on silk
Cincinnati, Ohio
February 2010

Princeton University Chapel
Kinetic gonfalon processional piece in memory of former dean Joe Williamson
Princeton, New Jersey
October 2008

Inferential Focus Corporate Headquarters
Synthesis, by the way, painting on silk 7’ x 3’
New York City, New York
July 2008

First Baptist Church ofAsheville
Two processional kites
Asheville, North Carolina
December 2008

First Presbyterian Church ofAsheville
Two processional kites
Asheville, North Carolina
November 2008

Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart
Mater, five paintings on silk, total installation 14’ x 19’
Princeton, New Jersey
December 2007

Christopher Dock Mennonite High School
Transposition, atrium piece and paintings in adjacent room
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
August 2007

Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church
Well Spring, three paintings on silk for worship space, one 12’ x 4’, two 9’ x 3’
Laguna Beach, California
July 2006

Daytona Beach Presbyterian Church
Kinetic Processional Kites of hand painted silk
Daytona Beach, Florida
August 2006

Church of St. Thomas More
Fifteen Stations of the Cross in paintings on silk, each 8’ x 4’
Glendale, Arizona
September 2005, Recipient of the Bene Award for Devotional Art and Spaces

National Conference of Presbyterian Musicians
Two Processional Kites
Montreat, North Carolina
June 2005

Lawrenceville School
Six paintings and one altar cloth
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
December 2004

Our Lady of Mercy Church
Six seasonal commissions of large scale groupings on silk
Potomac, Maryland
April 2002-January 2003

Good Shepherd Catholic Community
Three seasonal commissions of groupings of paintings on silk
Colleyville, Texas
April -September 2003

Princeton University Chapel
2001 Commission:  Grouping of six 12-foot paintings on silk, suspended from ceiling
1999 Commission:  Two 25-foot paintings on silk
1997 Princeton Commission:  Two 25-foot paintings created to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

St. James Cathedral
Kinetic Processional Pieces for New Years Eve celebration
Seattle, Washington
January, 2002

Fort Wayne Museum of Art
ArtWear 2000, 1999, 1998
Fort Wayne, Indiana
September, 1999, 1998

Meriken
One person invitational show
New York, New York
June-July, 1998

Church of the Holy Spirit
Portals, two paintings on silk, 12’ x 4’
Harleysville, PA

Interchurch Center
New York, New York
Invitational Chapel Exhibit of Portals, two 12’ x 4’ paintings later purchased by
Church of the Holy Spirit in Harleysville, Pennsylvania
December, 1997-January, 1998

Goshen College Art Gallery
An Artistic Legacy 1965-1998, invitational show
Goshen, Indiana
January-February, 1998

Ward-Nasse Gallery
"Unseen Realms"
New York, New York
October, 1997

Ward-Nasse Gallery
"Art Without Borders" International Salon '97
New York, New York
May-August, 1997

Ward-Nasse Gallery
"Naked:  The Natural State of Being"
New York, New York
January-February, 1997

First Presbyterian Gallery
Invitational show
Fort Wayne, Indiana
January-February, 1997

Ward-Nasse Gallery
"Myths, Milagros and Magic"
New York, New York
October, 1996

Goshen College Art Gallery
Invitational show
Goshen, Indiana
September, 1996

Ward-Nasse Gallery
"COLOR:  The Divine Madness"
New York, New York
March-April, 1996

Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
"Spirituality and the Body:  Small Works"
Cincinnati, Ohio
February, 1996

Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Boniface Gallery
Invitational one person show
New York, New York
July-August, 1995

Ward-Nasse Gallery
International Salon
New York, New York
June-August, 1995

Ward-Nasse Gallery
Invitational show
New York, New York
May, 1995

Ward-Nasse Gallery
Artwork represented
New York, New York
December, 1994

Greene and Greene Gallery
Group show
New Hope, Pennsylvania
November, 1994

The Peoples Place Gallery
"Art '94" Visual Survey
Intercourse, Pennsylvania
November, 1994

Goshen College Alumni Invitational
Invitational group show
Goshen, Indiana
November, 1994

The Spirit Celebrates
Paintings and drawings represented
Chicago, Illinois
October, 1994 to 1996

The Spirit Celebrates
Commission:  69 yds. cotton fabric, hand dyed and painted
Chicago, Illinois
October, 1994

College Mennonite Church
Commissioned painting:  Windows and Spheres
Goshen, Indiana
August, 1994

"Voices in Dialogue" Women Doing Theology Conference
Presentation of 10' painting, World Without End
Bluffton, Ohio
June, 1994

Brooklyn Museum Shop
Silk scarves represented
Brooklyn, New York
March, 1994

Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Silk scarves represented in Cathedral Shop
New York, New York
February, 1994

Mennonite Arts Conference
Presenting artist
Cincinnati, Ohio
February 5, 1994

Carnegie Arts Center
Mennonite Arts Exhibit
Covington, Kentucky
February, 1994

Midwest Museum of American Art
Elkhart Juried Regional
Elkhart, Indiana
October-November, 1993

City Art
One person show
Charleston, Illinois
August, 1993

The Peoples Place Gallery
"Art '93" Visual Survey
Intercourse, Pennsylvania
November, 1993

Genesis Gallery
One person show
Harrisonburg, Virginia
June, 1993

Painting selected for illustration of sermon by Jean-Bertrand Aristide
The Other Side magazine
May-June, 1993

Tarble Arts Center
Master of Art Exhibition
Charleston, Illinois
April, 1993

Painting selected for cover art
The Other Side magazine
November-December, 1992

Ohio Historical Society
"Traditions and Transitions:  Amish and Mennonite Expression in Visual Art"
Columbus, Ohio
October, 1992

Canton Arts Center
"Amish and Mennonite Creativity"
Canton, Ohio
April, 1992

Carnegie Arts Center
"Mennonite Tradition:  Present Day Expression"
Covington, Kentucky
February, 1992

American Women's Club
Invitational group show
Dusseldorf, Germany
November, 1991

Greene and Greene Gallery
"Primarily Color"
New Hope, Pennsylvania
July-September, 1991

Lakeview Mennonite Church
Invitational group show
Chicago, Illinois
April, 1990

Elkhart Art League
Spring Juried Show
Elkhart, Indiana
March, 1990

Century  Center
Women's Fest
South Bend, Indiana
February, 1990

Greenleaf Gallery
Invitational group shows
Winnetka, Illinois:  March, October, and December, 1990
Elkhart, Indiana:  November, 1989 and November, 1990

The MMA Gallery
One person show
Goshen, Indiana
July-August, 1988

Ivy Gallery
"Ventures in Creativity"
Ivy, Virginia
March, 1987

Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts
Virginia Watercolor Society Eighth Juried Exhibition
Roanoke, Virginia
May-June, 1987

Staunton Fine Arts Association
Juried show
Staunton, Virginia
May, 1986

Shenandoah Valley Art Center, Inc.
Opening Members'  Exhibit,  Juried
Honor Gallery
Waynesboro, Virginia
July, 1986

Signature Fine Arts Gallery
Opening Invitational Exhibit
Harrisonburg, Virginia
September-October, 1986

Bald Knob Art Show
Juried group show
Rocky Mount, Virginia
November, 1986

 

PARTIAL LIST OF COLLECTIONS

 

Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Infusion, commission of six 12’ paintings on silk suspended from chapel ceiling
Ascent:  Blue River, commission of two 25 foot paintings on silk for chapel
Threshold, commission of two 25-foot paintings on silk for chapel
Four kinetic processional pieces, Water, Fire, Land and Air
Kinetic gonfalon processional piece as memorial commission

Inferential Focus Corporate Headquarters, Madison Ave., NYC, New York
Synthesis, by the way, 7’ x 3’ painting on silk

Central Park Hotel, a boutique hotel in Sighisoara, Romania
Glassblower's Breath, commission of four paintings on silk for central atrium

Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, Princeton, New Jersey
Mater, five paintings on silk, total grouping 14’ x 19’

Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church, Laguna Beach, California
Well Spring, three paintings on silk for worship space, one 12’ x 4’, two 9’ x 3’

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, Gilbert, Arizona
Grouping of paintings on silk in the chapel

Church of St. Thomas More, Glendale, Arizona
Fifteen Stations of the Cross paintings on silk, 8’ x 4’ each
Recipient of the Bene Award for Devotional Art and Spaces

Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship, Cincinnati, Ohio
Processional Gonfalon

BJ Katz, Meltdown Glass, Phoenix, Arizona
“World Without End” paintig on silk, 10’ x 4’

Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Transposition, atrium piece and painting in adjacent room

Daytona Beach Presbyterian Church, Daytona Beach, Florida
Kinetic Processional Kites of hand painted silk

National Association of Presbyterian Musicians
Kinetic Processional Kites of hand painted silk

Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
One to One, six paintings on silk and one altar cloth

Our Lady of Mercy Church, Potomac, Maryland
Six seasonal commissions of large scale groupings of paintings on silk

Church of the Holy Spirit, Harleysville, Pennsylvania
Portals, two paintings on silk

Good Shepherd Catholic Community, Colleyville, Texas
Four seasonal commissions of groupings of paintings on silk

Full Circle Family Massge and Healing Center, Cranbury, NJ
Two commissions of suspended paintings on silk for center

Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia
Kinetic processional pieces, painting on silk, collaboration with kite artist Martin Blais

Interchurch Center, New York, New York
Portals, pastel and watercolor on paper

Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana
Windows:  Ascension, memorial painting on silk

Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Triptych altarpiece silk paintings on exhibit in campus center
Church of the Holy Spirit, Harleysville, Pennsylvania
Portals, painting on silk dyptych

College Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana
Windows and Spheres, commissioned painting on silk

Private collections of hundreds of individuals and businesses throughout the United States and Europe through gallery and personal sales.

 

EDUCATION

 
    B.A., Art, Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana
    Study and work: Haiti
    Art Study Tour: Italy
    Master of Art, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois
    HS Teaching Certificate, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
 

 

 
 
 
 
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