Baltimore’s harbor is calm, but resident artist Joan Cox is gathering momentum. Since her last appearance with NOT REAL ART, she’s been named a finalist for the Baker Artist Award, recognized among London’s Top 100 International Artists, and seen her intimate portraits circulate through exhibitions and publications. A past NOT REAL ART grant winner (2022), Joan is known for capturing the “energy field” of love between women. Now, her work takes center stage in NOT REAL ART’s Modern Love exhibition, running online at notrealart.com this spring.
In conversation with host Scott “Sourdough” Power, Joan reflects on the work of recording contemporary queer intimacy. She describes her process, from asking strangers to sit for her, to searching for the subtle charge that passes between couples, all while managing the demands of a full-time career and raising a middle-schooler.
Her canvases are lush and unscripted, dense with narrative detail—bedroom Buddhas, floral wallpaper in the corner of a bar. Beneath the surface, each painting offers an act of correction, adding a page to art history where overlooked couples are seen, valued, and, at last, collected.
Episode Highlights With Joan Cox
- Joan Cox discusses becoming a finalist for the Baltimore Baker Artist Awards, a chance at a $10k grant, and participating in a group show at the Baltimore Museum of Art [04:08].
- How painting everyday queer couples—friends and strangers alike—builds visibility, empathy, and a touch of magic on canvas [09:05].
- Capturing both passionate and steady love: the difference between painting new lovers and couples who’ve been together for over 50 years [20:01].
- From being a closeted teen in a 1980s Catholic school to painting her own community, Joan discusses the personal cost—and political importance—of being seen [24:44].
- The subtle politics of the seating chart: how daily microaggressions reveal themselves, even at the restaurant table [28:22].
- Why representation in painting still lags behind film and photography—and what queer artists can do to help close the gap [36:06].
- Advice for younger artists: tune out negativity, look inward, and don’t stay where you can’t be yourself [44:24].
- Raising a queer family and a creative kid: Joan talks Gen X, mean girls, and enrolling her daughter in a progressive free-form school [47:19].
- The Bureau of Queer Art: an international residency and resource hub for LGBTQ+ artists [55:29].
- Why every portrait may be a self-portrait when you’re telling the stories that matter most [52:04].
Quoteables
- “I realized I just wanted to paint only couples…It’s been evolving slowly but steadily and on that same path.” — Joan Cox [00:10:13]
- “You’re not just painting people, you’re painting love.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [00:16:19]
- “I wish I had come out sooner…painted my own experience sooner, rather than looking outwardly.” — Joan Cox [00:44:25]
- “Thirty years ago, Scott, you and your wife could have been my models—at that time, I was painting interracial straight couples.” — Joan Cox [00:37:58]
Mentions & Shoutouts
- Modern Love: Our latest First Friday Exhibition features new work by Joan Cox. [00:01:25]
- Baker Artist Awards: Major Baltimore grant and group show, plus a potential $30K “life-changing” grand prize. [00:03:40], [00:41:42]
- Women United Art Prize: Joan Cox scored second place and a Top 100 slot. [00:04:44]
- Bureau of Queer Art: Artist collective and online residency where Joan Cox connects with queer artists from Belize to Montana. [00:55:29]
Where to Connect & Experience
- See Joan Cox’s latest work in Modern Love.
- Follow Joan on Instagram for in-progress shots and behind-the-scenes studio news.
- Listen to our first interview with Joan, right after being awarded the 2022 NOT REAL ART Grant.
- Bureau of Queer Art: Download the magazine, follow the group, and get connected.
Episode Credits
- Host: Scott “Sourdough” Power
- Guest: Joan Cox, Baltimore-based painter focused on queer intimacy, identity, and representation; NOT REAL ART grant winner.
- Production: Crewest Studio, Los Angeles
- Theme Music: Ricky Peugeot & Desi DeLauro of Parlor Social
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Photo Gallery
All images published with permission of Joan Cox.