Molly Gaston Johnson
Art Form(s):Artist Statement
I see visual art as a language and a community-building practice. Students achieve internal understanding by expressing ideas through visual communication. More magic happens when others who see the work then interpret it and add to it the context of what they have created. These moments in the classroom are opportunities for empowerment and enlightenment. Through the joy and discovery of first creating, students realize they have something to say, can say it in an interesting and safe way, and can broaden their view by witnessing a wider collection of responses to the same challenge. This holds true across all the workshops I teach, all the media I use, and all the age groups I encounter.
Artist Bio
My professional artistry is rooted in printmaking (silkscreening, blockprinting, intaglio, lithography, graphics and bookmaking) and a practice of observational drawing. In both realms, I create, exhibit, sell, and work with clients on commissions…frequently, currently, and happily. My skills have been honed through lifelong practice and also through formal training at The Ohio State University (Masters, Fine Art, Full Fellowship) and James Madison University (Bachelors of Fine Art, Printmaking and Art History).
My commitment to art has deep roots in creating, administration and advocacy. I worked with the National Endowment for the Arts developing federal partnerships, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in museum education, and on arts-in-literacy partnerships with the Newark Museum and Newark Public Schools. I have years of teaching art history and studio art at the college level, and I have worked nationally on public art projects (Creative Director of Exquisitely Connected, and one of 11 artists selected from a national pool to participate in Exquisite Gorge printmaking and arts education initiative.) This work is true to my core beliefs that beauty (balance, honesty and awareness within self and the environment) is important, and art is a practice of helping beauty to be more prevalent.
As a professional teaching artist, I bring committed arts experience and these core beliefs into the classroom. This profession allows me to enjoy rich collaborations with teachers that stretch my vision: arts-integrated math, literacy-building graffiti walls, social justice installations, performance-connected costuming, props and regalia. From the philosophical to the practical, I devote myself to the arts and to sharing it with others.
