Joy Gritton teaches Western and non-Western art history at Morehead State University.  A native of Henderson, Kentucky, Gritton attended Murray State University and the University of Heidelberg in Germany before receiving her Bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Kentucky.  Specializing in Native American art, she received her Masters degree from the University of New Mexico and  Ph.D. at UCLA.  Gritton taught for seven years at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the only art school in the world that focuses exclusively on Native American art and artists.  Her  recent book, The Institute of American Indian Arts:  Modernism and U. S. Indian Policy, examines the early history of the school.  Gritton has published articles in the areas of Native American art, Appalachian art, and art and the healing process.  Together with her husband, Stephen LaBoueff, she teaches workshops on how creativity and imagery may be used to help heal.  She is also a visual artist and works in a variety of media ranging from acrylics and pastels to fiber arts.