GALLIPOLIS, OHIO – Local photographer Joy Kocmoud recently garnered the Best of Show award for her digital photo, titled “Structural Integrity”, at the 2010 Tri-State Arts Association Juried Exhibition, held at the Huntington Museum of Art.
     Kocmoud (pronounced cuts-mode) is an award winning artist located in Rio Grande, Ohio. She completed her Masters of Classroom Education with a concentration in Integrated Arts at the University of Rio Grande in 2009. She also holds a Bachelor's in Visual Arts and an Associate in Business Administration.
     This year alone, Joy has earned 6 awards in 4 area shows. She took 2nd place, enhanced photography division at the 28th Annual Foothills Art Festival in Jackson, Ohio, with a black and white portrait of a horse, titled “Seeing Spot”. At the 2010 French Art Colony 4th of July Exhibit, “Structural Integrity” took 1st place, professional straight photography division while “Seeing Spot” earned Honorable Mention in the professional enhanced photography division. The Upstairs Gallery show in Ashland, Ky., presented her with a Merit Award for her digital photo, “Labor Days”, which will be on display through the month of September.
Her biggest honor was winning Best of Show at the Tri-State Exhibition, where she also earned Honorable Mention for a watercolor painting titled “Fortune Teller”.
“I was excited just to have both of my pieces accepted by the jurors,” said Kocmoud. “I was very surprised when I found out I had won the top award at such a prestigious show.”
Born and raised in Chicago, Joy moved to Southeast Ohio in 1999. During the last decade, she has won over a dozen awards for her work and spent several years as a photojournalist for the Gallipolis Daily Tribune.  Creative, intelligent, and easy to work with, Joy always goes the extra mile to capture the character of every subject in a relaxed atmosphere. She has a passion for portraits, and loves to take pictures of people and pets.
“I love working with people,” said Kocmoud. “Trying to create the perfect image can be quite a challenge. My goal is to capture magic moments so they can be shared with family and friends for a long time to come. I want to tell stories that can be passed down from generation to generation.”
For more information, call (740) 645-6197 or (740) 245-5019, send e-mail to jkocmoud@yahoo.com or visit [link]