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Bio Joel Berry b. 1979, St. Thomas Has lived in St. Thomas a large majority of life, except for two years at U.W.O.. & after a year of living in Toronto in middle of last decade. Went to pre-school at Alma College, and high school at Parkside locally. Never really found what to work at and had trouble achieving in education. Now is planning a community engaged art organization for increasing artistic interest, foster a board of directors, share creative ideas for fund raising, peer review, grant writing. This is dubbed “St. Thomas Arts Organization.” Had two pieces in November '13 Healing Palette, and in March -14 Clara Hughs opening at the ST. Thomas Elgin General Hospital with Canvas and Quill Studios. Also a member of St. Thomas Elgin Artist Guild. Mother taught elementary school, is also a poet who has been published recently in Malahatt Review, Hamilton Arts and Letters, and two published books of poetry. She's into herbs and collecting them. Father, is also an artist.'. Three brothers have moved away to big cities. Joel is working with a Job Skills Program through local Canadian Mental Health Association, and currently hoping to engage support of community with art interests. Heavy influences are business, photography, politics, demographics, religion, role playing games, & acting. Putting “data to graphics”. Making something exciting, original, which could be broken down to an embryo of boring stock market quotes. The act of planning a piece is a real, never say you can't do that' kind of experience, picking amazing subjects, from the general ideas on the straight and narrow path and running with them. Fascinated by ancient planets dense undiscovered forests, shamans, ,and rituals. Deities (tribal gods) that represent things like weather, hunting, harvest, birth, travel, etc.. Everyday economy and trades still share bits of early civilizations methods on parts of the practice. Carl Jung wrote “physical actions could be entrusted to a higher power.... tempests of fortunes restrained the baleful orbits of the stars.... ill morals, idle spectacles gladiatorial missing unnoticed intricacies.” These problems that exist, utilities costs, cell phones; these necessities, revolve into political, manufacturing, and mental/psychological problems. “Massive electrical/software/hardware infrastructure, and also their not making as much pollution as the chemical printing process, and what about when facebook or twitter archive disappears, what is the thing to do, hire a server?”1 Currently working in a number of mixed media, painting in acrylic, multimedia paper, balsa wood and 'ojets trouve' or found objects. Using glues and adhesives, to create shapes in molds with paper pulp. Inspired by contemporary artists like, Mike Nelson, Eric & Mary Ross, Goshku Macagu, Carsten Holler, Roni Horn, Deepak Chopra, Genisis P. Orridge and many others. Kinetic art installations, interior and exterior architecture, temporary kiosks and all things interests. Anything could/would suddenly add (it)them self too the subject matter, get more intricate, the image could kind of animate itself whether planned(costume) or spontaneous (birthday suit). The year 2014 was quite a productive year, with the first sold artwork done at a juried group artist show at The Art Emporium in Port Stanley, and became a member of Canvas and Quill Studio and St. Thomas Elgin Arts Guild. Eye opening, growth as an artist happened, and promises organizing a body of work to spread out through more commitments.