* Judaica Metal Sculpture *
Kiddush Cups, Candlestick Holders
Mezuzahs, Dreidels, Seder Plates, Spice Boxes

Joy Stember was born in Cheltenham, PA to a wonderful Jewish family. Her mother, a veteran High School French teacher and her Father, a talented jewelry designer both encouraged Joy from a young age to pursue the arts. Joy started taking art classes at age 5 at Cheltenham Art Center and of all the different art classes she took she excelled in ceramics.  At the age of fifteen her work was exhibited in the National Competition of Young Ceramics Artists at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY as well as the K-12 exhibition at the National Council for Education in the Ceramic Arts Conference in Kansas City.

Joy attended Cheltenham High School class of 2002.  She was privileged to be able to work independently in the ceramics/ metals studio under the guidance of Ed Stanley.  During that time she completed a four-foot by four-foot tall holocaust memorial menorah as a confirmation project for her synagogue.  It was exhibited in many venues and is included in the Lark Books publication 500 Judaica. In addition, Joy created a series of ceramic works that was submitted to the Advanced Placement Portfolio Review, to receive college credits for her superior work. Not only did she receive the college credit, she was chosen as one of the top five young three-dimensional arts in the country and was featured on the 2003 Advanced Placement application poster.

In 2001, Joy discovered her love of metal. As her senior graduation project she chose to design and build a nine foot tall copper fountain for the schools courtyard. She presented her design to the school and received the commission to build the fountain. After a year of work she unveiled the sculpture and a plaque at a public ceremony. It was gratifying for her to give something back to the school for all of the exceptional teaching she received.

Joy attended Tyler School of Art, Temple University, in Elkins Park, PA where she received her BFA from the Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM department in 2006. Joy supplemented her education at Tyler with summer workshops at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina. This allowed her to study with some of the most accomplished metals artist in the county.  After studying with Fred Fenster, the former head of the Metals Depatment at the University Wisconsin- Madison, she was asked to be his teacher’s assistant at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle Maine the following summer.

After graduation she established her own studio where her works were included in national competitions and publications such as: Lark Books’ 500 Metal Vessels, the 2009 Made in Metal Show in Baltimore, Maryland,  a 2008 Rio Grade Saul Bell Design Awards Finalist, Craft Forms 2009 at the Wayne Art Center as well as being a 2010 Finalist in the NICHE Magazine Awards.

Currently Joy is working in her new studio in Abington, PA where she is completing a collection of fine modern Judaica in pewter, brass and silver.  Her works are included in many private collections as well as synagogues all over the country.