Published on 30 March 2022
Heartfelt tributes were today paid to an “awesome friend” and “inspirational colleague” as the University of Sunderland remembered lecturer and artist Joe Woodhouse.
Joe, who had worked at University for 16 years, died last weekend aged just 50.
Colleagues, students and those simply inspired by Joe’s infectious passion, have been left devastated by the loss.
Close working colleagues Natalie Gale, Adam Phillips and Deborah Bower were first to pay their tributes: “We lost our awesome friend and boss this week.
“All of you who know us and know our team will already have experienced our tight family nature. We are utterly heartbroken our navigator and glue is no longer with us, in teaching and for wonderful banter - Joe always had good craic.
“We learned so much from him and he from us, because he was always in support the foundation ethos of collaboration.
“We have been flooded with kind messages recalling how fearless, determined, kind, generous, hardworking and funny Joe was. The effect he has had on so many people’s lives creative or personal is huge, he was such a fantastic teacher and person.
“We hope to honour Joe’s memory somehow at some point in the near future and we hope that those of you who can, will come join us to celebrate him and his legacy.”
Joe first joined the University as a lecturer on the Foundation Art and Design programme. He would later take over as Programme Leader for the course.
Dr Mike Collier, Professor of Visual Art at the University, said: “Joe was just the best colleague and friend. He was kind, generous and collaborative, always open to new ideas; passionate about his students and fearless in supporting them whatever the odds.
“He was very loyal, and I never heard him say a bad thing about anyone. He was a huge character – inspiring but never bombastic; and he had no ego. He was a really good artist, sometimes working on collaborative projects with his sister, Alice.
“Joe’s interest in, and knowledge of, art and design teaching was extensive, from the Bauhaus, and the Basic Course run by Pasmore and Hamilton, to exploring new ways of working together and collaboratively with students in the digital age.
“And one of Joe’s many outstanding achievements was to set up the Foundation Press with Adam Phillips and Debbie Bower – a wonderful resource for students and artists. “I will miss him terribly. The world is a much sadder place without him.”
Professor Arabella Plouviez, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, added her voice to the tributes.
She said: “Joe has been a key member of our faculty for many years and his untimely death is a terrible loss to us all.
“Joe has been an innovator in teaching and learning in art, always looking for innovative ways to engage with the student community and support them to broaden their thinking.
“Always enthusiastic, Joe has inspired and motivated many, many students as they have moved through their learning and will be sadly missed by all. This has left a hole here in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries and all our thoughts are with his family at this time.”
It was in his role as Programme Leader for the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design that Joe developed and led the team which went onto to win a national ‘Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence’ for their innovative ‘Foundation Press’ project.
The project supported students to consider self-publishing as a strand of creative practice. This team also achieved two ‘Outstanding’ ratings following Ofsted inspections. Joe recently held a cross-faculty role as ‘Digital Teaching Lead’ and supported colleagues to develop their online teaching practice.
Professor Kevin Petrie, Head of the School of Art and Design, said: “I looked forward to my meetings with Joe as he always had thoughtful, innovative and ‘can-do’ ideas to contribute. I was also always impressed by his determination to do the very best for all his students.
“Joe was such a kind man who always wanted to bring to the best out in students and colleagues. It's a great loss for all of us here.”
Joe also expanded his own teaching to include leading art history modules in BA(Hons) Fine Art and Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics. He also held a valuable role as Deputy Programme Leader for Fine Art.
Alongside his work for the University, Joe engaged nationally with his subject, taking on the role of treasurer of the National Association for Fine Art Educators.
Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University, said: “The whole community here at the University has been shocked and saddened to hear about Joe’s death, and at such a young age too.
“Joe believed that an arts and creative curriculum should be open to students from every background. That commitment infused all the work that he did at the University, and so many students benefitted as a result.
“Our thoughts remain with Joe's family at this very difficult time.”
Dr Carol Mckay, Arts Team Leader, added: “Joe was an inspirational artist-teacher. Collaboration was at the core of his practice, and he worked tirelessly with colleagues, students and graduates in a spirit of shared endeavour.
“His enthusiasm and commitment were infectious. I have an abiding memory of him working with colleagues in University Estates, planning the move of the Foundation programme into Priestman. The timescale and budget were tight, but Joe had a vision and he made it happen in a way only he could. Right down to persuading Estates that their newly laid carpets needed to be removed from the new studios. If we say no, you’ll go ahead and do it anyway, said someone in Estates. They were right about that, and so was Joe."