Meet Joanne Hope Skiles Couch | Transdiciplinary Artist/Archaeologist/Assemblage & Fiber Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanne Hope Skiles Couch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanne Hope, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
My husband, Jeff, and I have been married 27 years as of November 9th of this year. We’ve always worked side by side since the first time we met on an archaeology excavation in 1989 in Whittier, California at the Pio Pico Rancho Paso de Bartolo. Don Pio de Jesus Pico was the last Governor of Alta Californio under Mexican rule, his home was built in 1834 and it’s the second oldest residence in Los Angeles. To get a better understanding of the indigenous peoples life ways who built the adobe mansion, we excavated the old indigenous villages adjacent to the main house which were villages of the Tongva-Fernandeno, Tataviam-Fernandeno, and Chumaash-Ventuano indigenous tribes. Jeff and I were young college students and it’s where our endearing friendship turned to fond admiration as we mutually built respectful camaraderie for one another as with our Ingenuous Most Likely Descendants (MLDs) and Tribal Elders. From then on our lives were focused in service to our Southern California, Great Basin, and Mexican Indigenous communities and the archaeological societies and academics that work alongside them.

For a straight 20 years that was Jeff’s main focus as career Archaeologist; my passion for environmentalism lead my heart where I worked as an Administrator in the soil and groundwater environmental remediation industry doing government contracts for 7 years, then in 2000 I entered into the Cultural Resource Management (CRM) field to once again working side by side with Jeff on archaeology and paleontology jobsites throughout Southern California. As we rose up in the ranks: publishing several peer reviewed technological publications and reports; presenting our research at state and national conferences; and volunteering at local schools and Indigenous community events we were invited to – we eventually were promoted to Directors of the United States’s oldest CRM firm. With this great prestige came a lot of political responsibility being the mediators between Indigenous Native American Tribes, Landowners, and local, state, and federal government agencies – our passion to respectfully serve our Indigenous Tribal communities and their Ancestors was paramount in reconstructing their prehistory, as we were often handpicked by the MLDs for our “respect and sensitivity to their cultural matters”; and it was an important responsibility we tirelessly worked 60-80 hours per week meeting the demands and helping our Indigenous Tribal friends hopefully get closer to gaining Federal Recognition – since being “Missionized” Indigenous Native Americans were considered by the Federal Government as “subsumed” into the Mission System and therefor “loosing” their “autonomy”. To Jeff and I this was a personal passion that would come full-circle for us as our first archaeology site at the Governor Pio Pico Adobe we felt was a harbinger since one of the notable acts he did was make the Spanish Missions forfeit their land and become secularized.

Our careers as Archaeology Directors and the paramount contributions we made to help tell the prehistoric story of California and the Great Basin were all we lived and breathed, and our dedication to respectful service garnered the respect from our peers and Indigenous Tribes alike despite all the ups and downs and controversies but we weathered the storms with altruistic grace, a hard feat as most can imagine. But despite our good faith efforts to always shine the silver lining in the clouds, when we finally got pregnant after 12 years of marriage we knew our priorities had to change and to now focus on our child. With the support and camaraderie of the important friends and colleagues we made in the Indigenous Tribal communities, a few Clients, and fellow Archaeologist we walked away from it all to start our new life in Kentucky, arriving in Lexington on Elvis Presley’s birthday January 8, 2009 when our son Ian was just 11 months old. We were again blessed with another child, our daughter Isabelle Skye in 2012 when I was 42 years old.

Since walking away from our prestigious archaeology careers most of our peers envied, our road has not been easy leaving everything we ever knew behind and all the people we love but I take consolation that my parents both did it when they left the Philippines to start their new lives in the United States as immigrants and I proudly take all the good with the bad just as they did because nothing is ever promised. I have worked hard for all my achievements but since moving to Kentucky Jeff and I have been able to homeschool out children, teach other children STEAM at a private microschool – focusing on “Whole Child Education”, and I launch my own art career in 2010 as a Transdicipinary Artist. As the saying from Pablo Picasso goes, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” As proud California transplants Jeff and I are able to teach our kids the sacrifices we have made and the lessons we have learned and to never feel you cannot reinvent yourselves at any age, any where, with any “perceived” limitation …. there is always inspiration waiting to be manifested and talent waiting to be acquired, as we always tell our children and our hundreds of students through the years, “The Expert in something was once just a Beginner.” All this is say: Be your authentic self and follow your dreams, don’t be afraid to adapt to new situations – remember to always be kind to yourself and others for “You are a road less traveled.” (yes, that is a term I coined some years back along our journey)

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My two brands are: “Kentucky Trifecta by Handmade Hope Rags”; and “Entropy Fashion …. Finding Patterns In Chaos”.

Joanne Hope Skiles Couch is a Couture Fashion Designer and Transdisciplinary Artist hailing from Southern California and transplanting to Lexington, Kentucky in 2009. Her style is coined as “Preppy Street Punk”. Utilizing her background as the former Archaeology Director for the oldest Cultural Resource Management firm in the United States to culturally and scientifically inform her brand of “Heritage Heirloom Cultural Regalia”. This may seem like a lofty aspiration; however, her moto is “Artists are a conduit of culture.” Her Anthropologist husband, Jeff, and she have been  purveyors of Fiberart Fashion, and Encaustic Wax Assemblage Artworks Home Decor in Lexington, Kentucky since 2010 under the brands “Kentucky Trifecta by Handmade Hope Rags” specializing in Horses, Hemp & Bourbon, and “Entropy Fashion … Finding Patterns In Chaos” specializing in Lexington Streetwear. Joanne Hope Skiles Couch’s creations are a Neo Dada study of Assémblagé Art. Her unconventional combinations of elements are often ascribed as Outsider Art due to her scientific background that she implements, and lack of formal art training which is overcompensated for by her Asperger’s neurodivergence due to her optical nerves being twice the size of the normal person: hence, her exceptional artworks are the catharsis for the optical brainstorms that aesthetically ravage her mind. Joanne Hope is also a Museum Curator of Artifacts and Educational Displays, as well as the Executive Art Curator and Founder of the Bluegrass Transplants Art Exhibitions 1 & 2 for Lexington Art League, established 2018. Joanne Hope is a published Author in several technical reports and peer reviewed academic journals in Geoarchaeology, she also holds a copywrite for a popular song published in 2023.  Joanne & Jeff are exhibiting Members of the Lexington Art League, and LexArts. IG: kytrifectabyhandmadehoperags

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My 15 favorite places in Southern California are :

1. Venice Beach: I use to hang with the runaway Punks and Rastas back in the 1980s as a Punker, I know lots has changed but hopefully not too much!

2. My favorite view is Wayfarer’s Chapel: What’s not to love – perfect view of Catalina, Frank Loyd Wright’s son was the Architect, total perfect make out spot, and you can dream of your perfect wedding day in the chapel. Plus, Sunken City is just down below a bit – a tad dangerous, but fun danger is sexy. Plus, lots of cool geology to collect at the shorelines of Palo Verdes.

3. Filipino Town, J-Town, Koreantown, Little Siagon in Garden Grove (I use to live in Garden Grove off Lampson back early 2000s). The amazing multi-cultural cuisine of Southern California cannot be rivaled by any other place. We miss the food so much now that we live here in Kentucky but we always tell all our friends visiting to do all these things I am listing!

4. San Pedro Ports O Call at 4am when the fishing boats come in with the night’s catch! The freshest fish you will ever have, still alive, and the best deals on the best fish ever!! I miss this so crazy much!! I grew up night time fishing on the San Pedro piers, or fishing on the rocks in the jetties with my Dad and Brothers!

5. Santa Barbara Mission and Persidio, just spend the day and soak it up!

6. Then Ojai, do the whole rural art thing, visit the Beatrice Woods Center – the “Mama of Dada” she’s one of my favorite Artist and I love her and her life so crazy much!!!

7. Santa Maria for BBQ of course – it’s the best!!!!!! OMG!!!

8. Camping on El Captain Beach – one of my fav spots!! Amazing geology!

9. Gotta head over to my old haunt in Newport/Costa Mesa. Grab lunch at Garduno’s Ristorante Italiano. Order the Salmon with Dill Honey Mustard and fresh steamed vegtables it is the best thing your mouth will scream for time and time again!!

10. Now hit Balboa Fun Zone cuz thats what us 80s Punks would do cuz it’s cool and fun!

11. Of course, if you are ever having an existential dilemma – or not but just need to be reminded of the beautiful majesty in this world you have to go to The Wedge. It’s my favorite place in the whole world (I was born in Germany, and have been to Hawaii). I have taken guys on beautiful picnics on our first date just because I love it so damn much – even platonic dates but with guys that a deep thinkers that I can totally vibe with – yep The Wedge is always the place to be and 50 more points if it starts to rain a little drizzle.

12. OK now you might as well head about 10 more minutes south to The Montage at Laguna (this was Jeff’s and my archaeology site when it was just an old trailer park with yes the real Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo “The Longest Trailer” was parked there, we excavated under it. The Montage were great clients and yes Jeff and I would climb up and down the Goff Island/Treasure Island with a 5 gallon bucket in each hand filled with archaeology site dirt that we excavated by hand all day and watched the lobster trappers set their nets in and out all day. Did I mention we had a pretty charmed life? Oh dang lets not forget the original Z Pizza is right across the street – or it use to be. My favorite salad is the Avocado Arugula, and the Tuscan Mushroom is the WORLD’s best pizza ever invented, I have begged pizza places here in Lexington to please try and make this pizza but they have never obliged – they’d make a million dollars!!

13. Since we’re here hit up Dana Point Marina (we used to have our 24′ SeaRay docked there) and see the world famous San Onofre Breccia Formation!! It’s amazing rock collecting!

14. Now to head to San Diego – Point Loma and Cabrillo’s Landing, The Gaslamp Dist, Coranado Hotel … all my familiy’s old stomping grounds once or twice a year as my Grandfather is buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetary – did I mention I wrote a song about going to visit there with my family every Memorial Day.

15. OK let’s hit my hometown of Cerritos, California with my Filipino Fam Bam and ALL the tasty treats between Cerritos & Artesia!! My family use to have a Floral/Plant cart in the Cerritos Mall called Island Weedz back in the 1980s and early 1990s. Good times!!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Major Shoutout!! to my husband Jeff Couch for all his love, support, and keeping me grounded throughout our 30 years. He stands behind me in every creative endeavor I choose, often collaborating with me as an Artist and logistical sounding board. He is an incredible published Archaeologist specializing in stone tool replicative analysis; R.N. who spent his career in the Operating Room specializing in Da Vinci Robotic Surgeries; a STEAM Educator for primary grade kids specializing in Health and Wellness and the Physical Sciences. Truth be told Jeff actually sews better than me and is an entrepreneur: exciting new is that in Spring 2023 he is launching a brand new company called Lexington Supply Company. LSC is a gear bag manufacturer with some really cool designs for the urban overlanding space, it is a project born of his love of archaeology & camping gear and taking our children on the coolest site seeing tours of the Anasazi Ruins of New Mexico & Arizona; and the Arches of our beloved Utah. It’s a beautiful thing witnessing Jeff teach our children how to have reverence and respect for our prehistoric, historic and modern day Indigenous Tribal People.

In fact in 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic Jeff left his job in the hospital and all we did was make masks – side by side, in our sewing studio and we donated as many masks as we actually sold: our donations went to hospitals and service nonprofits. And Hanes Inc. found out about how we were buying their XXL T-shirts and cutting them up to make the soft liners for our masks and they actually donated cases of t-shirts to us if we had a good cause. When they made the offer I knew exactly who would we wanted to be the beneficiary of this amazing offer: Navajo Nation Covid-19 Relief Fund. I contacted the Navajo Nation Department of Justice and worked with the Lead Attorney who put me in touch with the wonderful Navajo Graffiti Artist REZMO aka Natashia Martinez. We worked on the design together, me playing a supporting role to her original design, then Jeff and I imprinted the Alternative Apparel (Hanes) Recycled Bottle Polyester Sustainable Baseball Jerseys with REZMO’s “Together We Are Stronger” written in Dine and English. I contacted my good friend Griffin VanMeter, Owner of Kentucky For Kentucky Apparel shop and he offered to do the Distribution and Shipping pro bono. And because of the incredible team I was able to put together we were able to raise thousands of dollars for our Navajo Nation Brothers and Sisters! So yeah, Major Shoutout!! to all of my amazing Partners on this wonderful project!

My Navajo Nation Partnership campaign was so beautifully run that after the project was completed the Marketing Director of Hanes Inc, Connie Edwards, and I connected afterward and she offered me a Directorship of a Kentucky Chapter of Newborns In Need, a nonprofit she is the President of. Newborns In Need is in over 40 states and has been helping all God’s children, no questions asked, since 1992. I eagerly accepted this wonderful responsibility and have been able to serve several hundred families of newborn babies in need the essentials they need to “fill the gap” while the social services paperwork gets processed usually a couple months after a baby is born. Through generous donations from individuals and organizations in Kentucky and all over the United States Jeff, our children and I have been able to pack up and deliver over $6,000.00 of supplies to the Mayfield, KY Tornado victims of 2021; over $8,000.00 of supplies to the Eastern KY Appalachia Flood victims of 2022; and so many other individuals and pregnancy centers throughout Kentucky as we are the only chapter which services the whole state. We are super grateful and give a Major Shoutout!! to our NIN President Connie Edwards; our corporate sponsors Vivvi & Bloom for the amazing eco-friendly Baby Washes; Chicago Cubs & New York Mets Center Fielder Albert Almora, his wife Crystal, and Partner Anthony Urso for donating 1,000 Organic Baby Onesies to my chapter because they know I imprint apparel; NASCAR 2022 Winner Joey Logano for the hundreds of Newborn Carseats to all of our NIN Chapters but over 20 just to my Bluegrass Kentucky Chapter; and Warm Up America for the hundreds of heirloom quality hand crochet Baby Blankets, Baby Hats, and precious Baby Sweaters!! Everyone who has been blessed by these beautiful donations are truly touched by all the love and care given in each gift!

Lastly, but not least Major Shoutout!! to Award-Winning Couture Designer Samantha Jean Moore aka “My Family’s Best Friend”, and Co-Curator and Creative Partner for so many of our dreams – for being a source of incredible moral support and inspiration that only a true friend who IS family can give: your talent and tenacity come from the deepest level of understanding of humanity, respect, and grace. Your name will be written among the stars! And our other Co-Curator Philip Manga, aka KY Ambassador, Director of Box2Box Refugee Nonprofit, a Major Shoutout!! to you and all our Box2Box Students for Jeff and I love them all and we love teaching them in our Stoic Philosophy Positive Mindset and Art Journaling Workshops. The fact that I was able to print their own artwork on fabric and sew them onto Vintage Soccer Jerseys and Upcycled clothes coining the term “Lexington Streetwear”; and Samantha Jean teaching them how to model for our Bluegrass Transplants Exhibition & Fashion Show – Refugee Edition; and WE ALL had so much fun, only proves one thing …. as Philip always says, “It takes a village!” And I am truly grateful to have Samantha Jean, Philip, and Jeff in my creative community village!

Love, peace and harmony,
Joanne Hope Skiles Couch

Instagram: kytrifectabyhandmadehoperags

Linkedin: Joanne Couch

Facebook: Kentucky Trifecta by Handmade Hope Rags

Image Credits
Bill French, Danny Haddad, Paul Martin, Chris Begley, Joanne Hope Skiles Couch, Mahan Multimedia