About Jo.

Joanne Horvath Staley has been an award winning, multi-dimensional artist for over four decades. A first generation Hungarian-American, she counts a stone-carver, a custom milliner, two painters and a violin maker in her immediate blood line. Her personal artistry is in painting, silversmithing and fiber art. A trained artist and certified art teacher, she has captured prizes from juried art competitions in the South and purchase awards from national corporations.

Jo Staley at an Art Show in her booth.
Joanne stationed at her jewelry art booth at one of her many shows throughout her 40+ years as an artist.
Jo Staley soldering a piece of sterling to make an earring
Joanne using a blow torch to solder a joint in a piece of jewelry. This is how she makes nearly all her jewelry.

Her three dimensional work in metal smith are likely the stone-carver genes bubbling up to the surface! Sterling, copper and brass are her raw materials and she wields a full arsenal of tools, techniques, and explosive gases in the sculptural process of forming beautifully wearable objects from the flat sheets of shapeless metal and spools of inert wire. Many of her pieces are further enhanced with natural minerals or semi precious tones. There is something fundamentally organic in most of her jewelry creations. Individuals who buy her work know they are wearing (or have gifted) a unique piece of jewelry.

Jo Staley working at her jewelry studio sanding and filing using a dentist's drill
Joanne filing the extra solder from the jewelry joint and polishing the metal using a dentist's drill.
Jo Staley working at her Jewelry studio
Joanne filing and hand-sizing the jewelry in her back-of-house studio in Montgomery, Alabama.

Joanne was an Assistant Professor at Troy State University for 17 years and taught art in the AUM continuing education program. Her art teaching background is extensive and diverse, having been an "Artist in Residence" forThe Alabama State Council for the Arts and the Montgomery Arts Council.