Joanna Higgs Ross

Joanna Higgs Ross died peacefully at home on November 2. She was born in Nashville in 1934, where she would live, create, teach, and leave a lasting imprint on generations
of artists. In 1956, she became the first woman to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Joanna was the youngest and only female member of the Knoxville Seven, a group of artists active in East Tennessee from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s who explored modern and abstract art. Her inclusion in this circle positioned her at the forefront of Tennessee’s developing modern art movement.

After earning her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois in 1961, she began teaching full-time at Lambuth College in Jackson, Tennessee as the only art professor. After retiring from teaching in 1983, she returned to Nashville and painting full-time, creating evocative works that explored landscape, light, and abstraction. Joanna’s art is represented in several museums throughout Tennessee and Illinois, including the Tennessee State Museum, the Knoxville Museum of Art, and the Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis. Her work blended elements of realism and abstraction, often exploring skies, foliage, and natural movement through color and form.

In recognition of her lifetime achievements, Joanna received the 2019 Governor’s Arts Award from the Tennessee Arts Commission. This award honored her pioneering spirit
and her lasting contributions to Tennessee’s cultural and artistic heritage.

Joanna is preceded in death by her parents, John Curtis and Monetta Higgs; her brother, John Curtis Higgs, Jr.; and her husband, Dr. Douglas Ross. She is survived by her nieces, Monnie Furlong, Erin Furlong, Mary Beth Higgs, and Lee Ann Corrigan and two great-nephews, Bobby & John Curtis Corrigan.

In lieu of flowers, please make remembrances in the form of contributions to the Knoxville Museum of Art. 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37916
www.knoxart.org