Celebrating HMA Honoree, Joann Wilfong
“It’s just a part of my life, and it means so much to me to be a part of the experience. My life would not be complete without this museum.”
Joann Wilfong’s generosity and love for HMA has been a cornerstone of the museum for decades. A long-time friend of Paul Whitener and Mickey Whitener Coe, Joann is HMA’s longest serving volunteer. She has served on HMA’s Board and Collection Committees, is a charter member of guildHMA and cites the museum as her greatest passion outside of her family.
Born in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, Joann moved to Hickory in 1959 as a young bride. Her husband Harry was from Hickory, and they met at a Florist Telegraph Delivery Convention, held at the Mayview Manor Hotel in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Harry’s mother, like Joann, was also in the florist business, Laura Lee Wilfong, and is the main reason Joann became involved at HMA.
Joann grew up with Mickey Whitener Coe. Mickey grew up in Little Switzerland, NC, and in the early days of Hickory Museum of Art, she and Paul would close the Museum for the month of August and spend that time on vacation in the mountains of North Carolina. Paul would paint, and Mickey helped her mother with the summer canning. Paul would visit Joann’s father’s office, at the Spruce Pine Store Company in downtown Spruce Pine. Joann’s father was manager of the town general store, owned by the area mining company.
Once Joann married Harry and moved to Hickory, her mother-in-law encouraged her to paint, sure that she was an artist after seeing Joann’s floral designs and arrangements. Who could’ve known that this encouragement would blossom into the dedication and love Joann shares with HMA today. Joann started taking nighttime art classes in the early 1960s. New to Hickory, she helped her mother-in-law deliver flowers and says that job is how she learned the layout of Hickory.
When she wasn’t delivering flowers for Wilfong’s, Joann began volunteering at HMA in 1959. She opened the Museum on Sunday afternoons from 1 PM-4 PM, those hours of operation still observed today. Joann recalls that she would pick up the Museum keys from the fire station each Sunday afternoon and open HMA. At the time there were extensive coin and munitions pieces in HMA’s permanent collection. After an appraisal, HMA’s insurer recommended that the Museum get rid of these pieces, as they would attract thieves. The collections were auctioned off, and Joann still has the pieces she purchased in her home today.
When she wasn’t delivering flowers for Wilfong’s, Joann began volunteering at HMA in 1959. She opened the Museum on Sunday afternoons from 1 PM-4 PM, those hours of operation still observed today. Joann recalls that she would pick up the Museum keys from the fire station each Sunday afternoon and open HMA. At the time there were extensive coin and munitions pieces in HMA’s permanent collection. After an appraisal, HMA’s insurer recommended that the Museum get rid of these pieces, as they would attract thieves. The collections were auctioned off, and Joann still has the pieces she purchased in her home today.
After Joann began taking nighttime painting classes, she got really involved with volunteering for the Paul Whitener Student art show, helping to hang the artwork in the gallery.
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Joann was a charter member of guildHMA, the Museum’s volunteer committee, has served on the Board of Trustees as both member and board president, attends HMA’s bimonthly Coffee in the Coe events and is a regular presence at Museum exhibition openings, gallery tours and member trips. When asked what she values about her membership at HMA, Joann describes the beauty of the paintings in the Museum’s collection, the friendships she’s formed with others and the exposure to all different forms of art.
Joann’s impact has been felt by all who’ve known her at HMA and in all of the buildings that its inhabited. The Museum’s decision to honor her as an HMA Honoree was an easy one. When asked what it means for her to be an HMA Honoree, Joann said she is very humbled by this, and her involvement with the Museum has never been about recognition, she does it for her love of HMA. This has been her passion, and when describing Hickory Museum of Art to someone who has never visited before, Joann says it is the gem of Hickory and Western North Carolina. HMA is lucky to have the gem that is Joann Wilfong. Join us in honoring her and Pat Viles at the HMA Honors event, Sunday, August 14th from 2 PM-4 PM in the Coe Gallery.
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