Joan Bemel Iron Moccasin lives and works in Columbus, Minnesota, but was a resident of Oakland, CA for many years. She earned her BFA in studio art from the University of Minnesota and is the recipient of numerous awards including the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, the Dakota Center For the Arts Award of Merit, the WARM Jurorʼs Recognition Award, and the Katherine E. Nash Purchase Prize. She exhibits regionally and nationally and her work is included in numerous private collections including the Weisman Art Museum and the Minneapolis Lending Library.