About Kim S. Joy
I create stained glass artwork and jewelry in my Shangri La Studio, guided by a lifelong fascination with light, color, and the stories materials can tell. Working with glass allows me to slow down, pay attention, and remain connected to both tradition and curiosity.
I have been a stained glass artist since 1982 and began teaching in 2004. My work is rooted in traditional stained glass techniques, while increasingly exploring the incorporation of materials not typically found in the medium. This balance of time-honored craft and experimentation keeps my work evolving and meaningful.
Through my work, I continue to learn more about the world around me and where I came from creatively. I hope my pieces inspire and encourage others in their own artistic journeys. I especially enjoy working on commissions, collaborating closely with clients to create one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect personal stories, spaces, and intentions.
Teaching has long been an essential part of my artistic practice. I currently teach stained glass at Nash Community College and Wilson Community College, and I value creating a supportive environment where students can build both technical skill and creative confidence.
I am a member of the Stained Glass Association of America and the National Capital Art Glass Guild. My work has been exhibited through the Arts Council of Wayne County in Goldsboro, and Wilson Arts in Wilson, North Carolina, and is held in private collections worldwide.
Originally raised in upstate New York, I now live and work in Wilson, North Carolina. I invite you to explore my work, learn more about my classes, or reach out to discuss a custom commission.
From my studio
to you!
When I was a little girl, my Dad made me a playhouse from a Gypsy caravan. I spent hundreds of hours in there playing, imagining and hanging out with friends. When I was a teenager and had outgrown Shangri La the Playhouse, my Dad turned her into a mobile ice fishing shanty- he loved to fish. After my Dad died in 1979 my sister Jane took Shangri La to her house to become a potting shed. That is the story of the original Shangri La.
Fast forward to 2022 when I decided it was time to think about moving my studio back home so Shangri La was about to be recreated as my studio. Construction was finshed in February 2024 and Art Happens on Tarboro building was sold in March 2024 and I was finally back in the place that held so many cherished memories (yes it is a different building but the concept and emotion is the same). We have a history together.
Stained Glass
I love creating stained glass pieces for myself and for others. Seeing a piece of my work hanging in someone’s home or office makes me so happy.
I do commission work, side by side with the commissioner to create a piece they have seen grow from idea to design to pattern to work in progress to finished work.
If you have a broken piece of stained glass needing repair you can schedule a consultation to see if we can bring that piece back to life.
Jewelry
From beaded jewelry, to PMC (Precious Metal Clay) to metalsmithing I have worked over the years and still get excited when I sit at my bench. We can create a piece together or you can look through finished work to find the piece just for you.
Classes and Workshops
I teach at Wilson Community College in Wilson, NC, Nash Community College in Nashville, NC, the Community Council for the Arts Kinston in Kinston, NC and Arts Council of Wayne County in Goldsboro, NC.
I am available to teach at a place of your choice, just contact me and we can set up a class or workshop.