Mrs. Joann Brown Bushart

JoAnn Brown Bushart went to the Lord on December 3, 2021. She was ninety-three years old.

An award-winning artist, JoAnn opened the Rock House Gallery in Arlington in 1983. She was born May 27, 1928, and raised in El Dorado, Arkansas, the daughter of Robert Richard Brown of Honey Grove, TX and Carrie May Wilson of El Dorado, AR. She was a 1946 graduate of El Dorado High School and obtained her BFA degree from the University of Arkansas, where she met her husband of 71 years, Graydon Justin Bushart, Jr., a native of Fort Smith, Arkansas. They married on October 28, 1950, and moved to Arlington, Texas shortly thereafter, where he was employed by Vought Aircraft, later the LTV Corporation.

JoAnn was engaged in the nascent art movement in Arlington in the 1970s, showing her jewelry at the Upstairs Gallery, and joining in creation of the Arlington Art Association. Her Rock House Gallery and studio on Abrams Street represented craft artists in fiber, jewelry, pottery and other three-dimensional art and craft work forms. She loved the fellowship of other artists and promoted hers and other galleries in the annual Gallery Night event. But selling her work never compared to the joy of creating and teaching, which she did prolifically, working in her own studio, and moving through the mediums of metalsmithing and jewelry to glass, to glass on copper, also known as enameling, which was her passion in later years. She drew her inspiration as a young girl watching her grandfather, Samuel Henry Brown, work in his blacksmith shop in Honey Grove, Texas and she continued working in her studio until recently.

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Arlington, where she had many friends, volunteering with the women’s club and helping serve lunch to the Rotary Club every Wednesday.

JoAnn won numerous awards for her artwork over the years, but lately enjoyed showing her work at the State Fair of Texas, winning first, second and third place ribbons, soaking up the atmosphere she first experienced in 1936 when her parents brought her to the Texas Centennial, a memory that lasted a lifetime.

In their retirement JoAnn and husband Graydon, traveled to many exciting destinations, including Thailand, Greece, and Turkey, among others. Very memorable trips were to Russia, shortly after the fall of the iron curtain and to China, where she saw the great wall and the terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang. She also visited Egypt, Bali and South America, trips that left lasting impressions.

Most of all JoAnn was an inspiration to her family, whom she loved and cared for always. She is survived by husband Graydon, daughter Gwendolyn Bushart Scott of Georgetown, TX, son David Brown Bushart and wife Patricia of Cedar Hill, TX, son Thomas Kent Bushart and life companion Jere May of Grapevine, TX, brother Robert R. Brown, Jr. of El Dorado, AR, and many nieces and nephews all of whom will love and miss her always.

Visitation is Friday from 5-7 pm at Wade Family Funeral Home in Arlington. Services will be 2 pm Saturday, December 11, 2021, at the First United Methodist Church Arlington, followed by a private family burial at Parkdale Cemetery, Arlington.