Westminster Cultural Center artist lecture: Joy Poulard Cruz

The Westminster College Cultural Center and the Foster Art Gallery welcome all students and faculty to a lecture featuring mural artist Joy Poulard Cruz at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 4 in the Cultural Center located in McKelvey Campus Center 248.

Joy Poulard Cruz, a Pittsburgh based multidisciplinary artist, is responsible for creating the impactful and inspiring mural titled “It Is Possible” located the Westminster’s new Cultural Center.

Born in Washington, D.C., and adopted as an infant, Cruz was raised between D.C., Los Angles and Jacksonville, Fla., while spending her summer as a high schooler modeling for Wilhelmina Models in New York City.  

Exposure to a variety of different places influenced Cruz to investigate her cultural identity and personal expression as a dancer, vocalist, actor and visual artist.

Cruz studied dance at Tulane University and University of Florida, while touring as a company dancer for The Mod Project and Urban Bush Women and has recently received her Masters of Fine Art (MFA) from Carnegie Mellon University School of Art.

While in graduate school, Cruz began working as a scenic artist on various television and film productions.

Her work has been shown at the European Cultural Center in Venice, Italy, and awarded by the Frank Ratcheye Studio for Creative Inquiry, the Corrigan Travel Fellowship and a Florida SPARK Grant Award.

“I am honored to contribute to Westminster College’s legacy with the Cultural Center mural project,” said Cruz.

For more information on the Westminster College Cultural Center, and the artist lecture, contact Candace Okello at okelloca@westminster.edu.

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