Ben Joyce is every ‘place’: Artist opens downtown gallery, installs ‘Places’ at Jundt Art Museum, set to release documentary film

His first exhibit at Gonzaga University since he was a student.

An upcoming documentary film.

A new downtown gallery.

An installation of a piece at Hemmingson Center at GU.

For local artist Ben Joyce, 2024 has been quite a year.

“Places” opened at the Jundt Art Museum earlier this month.

“It’s been six years in the making,” Joyce said. “I traveled to locations that helped sculpt who I am. It stems from the love of place.”

Accompanied by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, Rudy Valdez, Joyce explored each city, researching its history and talking to its inhabitants.

The result is a stunning exhibit of seven 8½-feet-by-8½-feet works Joyce calls abstract topophilia, and a film due out later this year.

“As long as I can remember I’ve loved art,” he said.

He grew up, one of eight kids in Acton, California, and moved to Spokane to attend GU.

“I tried five different majors,” he said. “Art didn’t seem like a viable path.”

That changed during his study year abroad in Florence, Italy.

“I was painting traditional landscapes and felt confined – Florence was happening all around me.”

As he traveled through Europe, he observed the pride of place locals exhibited.

“I wanted to connect with the deeper, emotional level of place,” Joyce said.

He found that connection when he zoomed out and painted from a bird’s eye viewpoint.

“The viewer fills in the blank,” he said. “The longer you look, the more you see.”

To enhance that connection, Joyce doesn’t frame his work.

For example, when looking at “New York,” the first painting in the “Places” exhibit, the edge where New Jersey is looks like a puzzle with a missing piece.

“You can’t contain geography,” he said. “It continues beyond a frame. I wanted to capture the energy, the life, the culture of New York.“

Deep greens and blues dominate “Seattle,” and cherry blossoms drift above like small pink clouds.

The artist’s connection to the city is poignant.

More than 13 years ago, Joyce and his wife discovered their daughter had a rare chromosome deletion syndrome. Time spent at Seattle Children’s Hospital made the city an integral part of their lives.

“Maui” wows the viewer with vibrant color and an iridescent sheen. The simplicity of the painting reflects the relaxed vibe of “island time.”

“Most people have incredible memories of their time there,” he said.

Joyce gives a nod to his mother with “Butte.”

“It’s her hometown,” he said. “She really encouraged me in my work.”

He portrays the city’s mining legacy by prominently featuring the Berkeley Pit, a massive open-pit mine that’s now a Superfund site.

A doorknob and a piece of roof tile from the M&M tavern draw the eye.

“For over a hundred years it was open 24/7 and never locked its door,” Joyce said. “It was open when we were filming, but later burned down.”

“LA” also highlights the artist’s use of mixed media. From the burlap edges of the San Gabriel Mountains to the gold leaf of Hollywood, the textures tickle the viewer’s imagination.

Of course, “Florence” is included. It marks the genesis of Joyce’s current artistic approach and reflects the profound influence of his time in the city.

“It’s where it all began,” he said.

The final piece on display is “Rome,” a city steeped in symbolism and history. The patterns and textures Joyce used mirror the intricate layout of Rome’s streets and neighborhoods, and the voids and cutouts represent the ever-evolving nature of “The Eternal City.”

Art lovers have a new place to see his work. While Joyce still uses his downtown studio, he recently opened a small gallery on North Post Street.

He said foot traffic diminished at his studio following COVID, and like many downtown business owners, his studio has been impacted by the homeless situation.

“We needed a location that felt safer,” he said.

On Friday, Joyce, who graduated from Gonzaga University with an art degree in 2001, will unveil a new piece on the campus at Hemmingson Center.

He’s created a depiction of GU similar to the works in his “Places” collection.

“I want to create landscapes where you can inject your own pride of place,” he said.

Cindy Hval can be reached at dchval@juno.com.