Local artist, instructor, and lifelong creative Joan Moreau McKeever presents The Art of Discovery Continues at Art League Gallery this June. The exhibit is a celebration of exploration, featuring works in a variety of media—pastel, acrylic, mixed media, Japanese washi tape, cold wax and oil—reflecting McKeever’s artistic philosophy: that curiosity is a gift and discovery is a lifelong journey.
“My head is always turning toward the unfamiliar,” says McKeever. “What is that? How did they do it? That’s what drives me as an artist. I take risks, explore new techniques, and dive in wholeheartedly.”
From childhood charcoal drawings and summer sculpture classes at Wooster School of Art, to her current work juried into national shows, McKeever’s creative path has been anything but linear. A former advertising executive, real estate professional, and symphony violist, McKeever returned to fine art full time after moving to South Carolina. She’s since taught workshops in washi tape collage, abstract realism, and Zentangle, including outreach programs at correctional institutions and teacher training institutes.
McKeever has exhibited nationally in New York and Washington D.C., and locally with the Art League, SOBA, and the University of South Carolina. Her work has earned numerous awards, including First Place in Pastel and Mixed Media and recognition from the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA).
With The Art of Discovery Continues, McKeever invites viewers to both appreciate familiar techniques and be surprised by unconventional materials. “I hope people leave feeling joy and inspiration,” she says. “If they’re artists, maybe they’ll try something new. If they’re patrons, maybe they’ll discover a piece that speaks just to them.”
The exhibit runs June 16–July 18, 2025. An opening reception will be held Wednesday, June 18, from 5–7pm, and a wqashi tape demo is scheduled for
Friday, June 20, at 1:30pm. The exhibit, reception, and demo are free and open to the public.
