For Jo Westfall, art isn’t simply a skill or profession, it’s a way of being. The Canton-based artist, curator, and creative visionary doesn’t just create art; she lives it, breathes it, and invites others to do the same.
“As living creations, we are innately artists, dahling,” she says with signature flair. “Every child starts out as an artist… I was one of the lucky humans who was encouraged to continue doing so my whole life.”
Westfall’s journey to claiming the title of "artist" has been as colorful and layered as her work itself. Though she had long created art, it wasn't until a friend introduced her to a child simply as “an artist” that something shifted. “I wasn’t making a living from my work, it was just the way she defined me,” Westfall recalls. That quiet affirmation eventually bloomed into a full embrace of her identity and vocation.
Now, Westfall is known for her expansive, evolving body of work that defies categorization. She doesn’t confine herself to one medium or style. Instead, she moves fluidly between materials and techniques, following what she calls her “sources of curiosity.”
Her current projects reflect that blend of curiosity, intellect, and play. One includes woven assemblages made from piano wire and welding spools, materials that fascinate her and challenge her technical skill. Another, “Scansion Art,” translates the rhythmic structure of poetry into visual and multimedia artworks. It's a marriage of Westfall’s love of language, music, and code. “It’s the perfect culmination of my interest in creative writing, analysis, coding, music, visual art, and collaboration,” she explains.
Playfulness is essential to her process. “I always know when I’m on the right track when I start to laugh,” she says. That sense of joy and spontaneity shines through in both her art and her approach to life.
A self-described “Resource Artist,” Westfall frequently uses repurposed and salvaged materials, wood, metal, dress shop fabric samples, old instrument cables. This isn’t just about sustainability (though that’s certainly a benefit); it’s about transformation. “It forces me to calculate and solve problems in new and interesting ways,” she says. These materials often bring with them stories and connections, which she weaves into her pieces.
That sense of connection extends beyond materials to people. Westfall is deeply rooted in her our Canton community and believes collaboration is essential to artistic growth. “Anything that two or more people make together is going to be different than any individual could have executed on their own,” she says. “It’s unpredictable, fascinating, and usually better every time.”
As Gallery Coordinator and Marketing lead at both Strauss Studios and Cyrus Art Gallery, Westfall wears many hats. She also curates exhibits in local businesses, helping bring art into unexpected public spaces. “I get so pumped to work with people through personal connections, new or vintage,” she says. That passion for community engagement has helped her develop a web of collaborators and supporters throughout Northeast Ohio.
Even with her full schedule, Westfall makes time for reflection and balance. “Constant course correction,” she says of her approach to time management, always with planner, colored pens, and white-out in tow. Solitude, socialization, and rest are just as important to her as productivity.
Outside of the visual arts, Westfall has a vibrant musical past. “Marching band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, folk, rock, a cappella electronica, dubstep, punk, and electronic druid dance,” she says with a grin. She still contributes vocals to Post Organum, a metal recording project.
Her influences are as diverse as her work. Family, friends, mentors, and cultural icons all have a place in the creative mosaic that defines her. And when asked what advice she’d give to someone wanting to pursue a career in art, her answer is simple and empowering: “Just start.”
“No one is good at anything the first time they try it,” she adds. “Explore skills and experiment. Make whatever your art is, whether it becomes a career or doesn’t. Creating is the most deity-like thing we can do.”
For Westfall, art is more than what ends up on the wall. It’s about curiosity, community, and honoring the creative impulse that lives in all of us. Whether she’s shaping piano wire into sculpture or helping a local business host an exhibit, she’s always building something bigger: a vibrant, inclusive, joyful world where art is for everyone.
And in that world, nothing is wasted. Everything, even a scrap of fabric or a snippet of conversation—can become the start of something beautiful.
“I always know when I’m on the right track with art when I start to laugh.”
“No one is good at anything the first time they try it. Explore, experiment, and create, whether it becomes a career or not, making is one of the most powerful things we can do.”