2001 NAN Lifetime Achievement Awardee

Joyce was well known in the needlearts community for her outstanding teaching career, her leadership in many national needlearts organizations, and most especially, for her long career as a needlearts journalist.

She received her Teacher Certification in crewel embroidery from Valentine Museum (now National Academy of Needlearts) in 1978. Her Level II piece, “Marie de Medici” was accessioned into NAN’s Permanent Collection, the highest honor the Academy can confer on its graduates. From almost the very beginning Joyce was sought after for teaching on the national level, and for many years she taught at seminars for every needlework organization in North America.

Marie de Medici by Joyce Lukomski

After a short stint as a counselor for Valentine’s certification programs, Joyce was tapped to be NAN’s Assistant Director of Teacher Certification, followed by two more years as Director of Certification, and another two as Director of Education. She continued to serve as a counselor for the organization’s candidates for many years.

In 1981 Joyce was able combine her love of the needlearts with her formal training as a journalist when she became the editor of Needle Pointers, the house organ of the American Needlepoint Guild. She is noted for elevating the quality of that publication throughout her long tenure as editor, but her lifelong goals were finally realized in n 1999 when Joyce launched a new endeavor, her own needlepoint magazine needlepoint now. From the very beginning this new publication was highly regarded and it continues to be one of the most highly regarded publications in the world of embroidery.