Joy Tarr
McDaniel College 2022 
Dual Major in Art and Communication 
Minor in Marketing 

I wish I could introduce myself with a story that talks about how I've been an artist my entire life and created breathtaking work starting at an extremely young age. Quite frankly, I didn't develop any kind of interest in art until age 12 when I was in 7th grade. In my art class, one of our first prompts was to paint a Guiseppe Arcimboldo-inspired piece. I had no clue who that was or what he accomplished. We were given the largest piece of paper I had ever seen and had to design a "person" made of natural elements only; minimal skin could be shown. 

At that point in my life, I had no experience with such a unique assignment. After researching different Archimboldo pieces, I gained some background to help me out. I worked on my piece for weeks. I eventually created a genderless individual composed of flowers, leaves, diamonds, and gems. Art class was the highlight of my week. Something about watching this grayscale sketch turn into a colorful composition was so rewarding. Once it was over and I submitted my final, my teacher pulled me aside and said that she wanted me to apply for the Advanced art program for 8th grade. I made a little portfolio with my dad in my basement of all the things I had painted, drawn, sketched, and built.  It was quite the production. I was hesitant but I applied and thankfully was accepted. 

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I never knew if I wanted to pursue an Arts degree.  However, I chose McDaniel because I had the ability to test different classes my freshman year, and then decide what path I wanted. The art department welcomed me with such warmth and made my decision much easier. At the end of my Freshman year, I decided that I wanted to learn as much as I could at McDaniel and the result was a Dual Major in Art and Communication with a Minor in Marketing. I can confidently say that was my best educational decision. I have been able to take such a variety of classes that all are unique but somehow tie together. My Visual Communication class allowed me to work with real-world clients and digitally design social media content and even album covers. However, to gain the skills to even work within digital software, I had to pull previous knowledge from classes like Digital Imaging, Graphic Design, Color Theory, and Design Principles. The knowledge that I gained from my past 7 semesters has been so beneficial and liberal arts has given me a multidisciplinary approach to the world.

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I currently reside in Baltimore County, Maryland and outside of my art world, I love to visit local spots in Baltimore City. 

My mother, who has a green thumb, contributed to my appreciation of the outdoors. My father, who is a Graphic Designer and Commerical Printer, was a huge inspiration for my love of art.  

For the most current updates check out my Instagram: joy.tarr.art