Joyce Brienza Retires, Reflects on her Love of Teaching

After more than two decades of teaching at the University of Michigan’s Stamps School of Art & Design, Detroit artist Joyce Brienza is retiring with a legacy defined not only by her own artwork, but by the generations of students she inspired along the way.

Brienza was originally hired as a visiting assistant professor in September 2003 where she worked until December 2004. She then returned in January 2008 and was rehired as a Lecturer I before being promoted to a Lecturer II. During this time, she built a career balancing the demands of teaching with an active studio practice that brought her work to audiences across the United States and abroad.

Colleagues and students describe her as an artist deeply committed to experimentation, critical thinking and helping young artists discover what mattered most to them. Now, as she steps away from the classroom, Brienza said she is proudest not of exhibitions or accolades, but of the work her students created during their time with her.

“The students are so good, and so responsive,” she said. ​“What was always most satisfying to me was seeing students become excited about something that felt meaningful to them.”

Throughout her career, Brienza encouraged students to think beyond technical skills alone. While she frequently taught introductory and foundations courses, she consistently pushed students to engage with ideas, history and context through reading, discussion and interdisciplinary exploration.

One course in particular stands out in her memory, a multimedia course titled CFC 3: Nature, part of the Concept, Form and Context sequence. CFC 3 explored several themes, including nature as inspiration, nature as material and nature as an issue.

Brienza said the class quickly became one of the most enjoyable she taught because students enthusiastically engaged with the ideas, discussions and readings introduced throughout the semester. ​“That class was amazing,” Brienza said. ​“The students did a lot of reading, and they created installations and complex projects. We just had a great time in that class.”

Even in painting and drawing courses, Brienza said she consistently worked to incorporate elements of ideation and critical thinking into the classroom experience, reaffirming the importance of blending studio practice with intellectual inquiry.

“I always tried to incorporate reading whenever possible,” she said. ​“With some foundations courses, it was harder to do because of time restraints, but in other classes there was so much opportunity to explore context. I wanted students to think about ideas and books and concepts, not just look at something and paint or draw it.”

Outside the classroom, Brienza maintained deep ties to Detroit’s vibrant arts community. A longtime Detroit artist, she continued exhibiting her work nationally and internationally while juggling the demands of teaching full time. Balancing both roles was not always easy.

“It’s been a struggle to do both,” Brienza said. ​“I tended to exhaust myself with teaching and put my own artwork on the back burner. I always say I’m a teacher first, but also an artist who worked while teaching.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brienza participated in an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit titled Dual Visions, curated by Cass Corridor artist Kathryn Luchs. Brienza said the exhibition became an important source of motivation and stability during the pandemic. Her collaborative piece from the show was later installed at the Henry Ford Cancer Center, a placement she said made her especially proud.

Retirement now offers an opportunity to return fully to the studio, something Brienza said she is looking forward to with renewed energy and purpose. That return to artmaking carries even deeper significance as Brienza navigates serious health challenges. In recent years, her artwork has reflected her experience living with blood cancer. Some of her latest pieces incorporate cellular forms inspired by the disease and the physical realities of treatment.

Brienza is currently seeking a kidney transplant as a result of her illness. Friends and supporters are helping spread awareness about living kidney donation in hopes of finding a donor more quickly than the years-long wait typically associated with deceased donor lists. Supporters seeking information about kidney donation or ways to help can contact Brandon Hays at bhays@​givetolivehealth.​com.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding her health, Brienza said creating art continues to provide a sense of stability and escape. ​“Being in the studio keeps me from becoming overwhelmed with my health,” she said. ​“It can feel like being sucked into a black hole, and the art keeps me afloat. I can lose myself in the work and get away from reality for a while.”

As Brienza enters retirement, colleagues say her impact on the Stamps community will endure through the countless students she mentored, challenged and encouraged over the years. For many, her classes were not simply about learning how to make art. They were about learning how to think critically, engage deeply and find meaning through creative practice.

For Brienza, that influence remains the most rewarding part of her career.

“The work I did with students was always satisfying and exciting,that’s what I’ll carry with me, ” she said. ​“I feel incredibly lucky for my time at Stamps. The people I worked with were inspiring, generous and deeply supportive. It always felt like a creative utopia, and being surrounded by such talented artists and colleagues made the experience truly special.”