About the Artist :: Kathleen D. Johnson

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I am an artist specializing in oil paintings of Downeast Maine and its people, especially Mount Desert Island, where I have been a resident for nineteen years.

Growing up in Maine, I loved the outdoors, the changing seasons and colors, the beautiful landscapes and coastlands, and the hard-working people.

After attending the Art Institute in Kansas City I traveled to the Southwest, where I met my future husband. We returned to Maine to start our family, and for the next seventeen years I focused on raising our two sons.

In 1987 we moved to Bar Harbor. Several years ago I resumed my painting career as a full time endeavor.

Resume

• 1973. Received a full scholarship to attend Unity College at its new art department, founded and headed by Leonard Craig.
• 1974. Won first prize in a competition at Colby College, and was awarded the Marguerite Zorach Scholarship to attend the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.
• 1975. Attended the Skowhegan School on full scholarship and at the end of the nine week session was awarded the drawing prize.
• 1976-78. Attended the Kansas City Art Institute on scholarship, studying with Wilbur Niewald and Stanley Lewis, in a combination of representational and abstract disciplines.
• 1996. Entered my first juried exhibition and four paintings were chosen by the Union of Maine Visual Artists for their show of Downeast art.
• 1997. Began showing my work at the Argosy Gallery in Bar Harbor, where I have sold over 160 paintings.
• 1997. Had my first solo show, in Portland, Maine, for which I received very good reviews.
• 2001. Painting titled “Mount Desert Island Fishermen” was chosen from among 2118 nationwide entries for the Top 100 Show of the National Arts for the Parks Competition. (www.artsfortheparks.com)
• 2004. Painting chosen for top Mini 100, National Arts for the Parks

Exhibitions

• “The Painting 2″ International Juried Art Exhibition
  Period Gallery, Omaha, Nebraska
  Received the Director’s Award
• Salon International 2002
  International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art
  Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
• Heartland Artist’s Exhibition 2002
  Merriam, Kansas
• Oil Painters of America National Show
  Hilligoss Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
• The Salmagundi Club 25th annual juried art exhibition for non- members
  The Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Avenue, New York, New York
• Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Show
  Richmond, Virginia
• “Small Works ” juried show, Carl Little, Juror
  The Clark House Gallery, Bangor, Maine
• 2001 National Arts for the Parks Exhibit, shown in several locations around the country
• The 2003 Member’s juried exhibition, the Salmagundi Club
• 2004 National Arts for the Parks Exhibit, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
• The 2004 Member’s juried exhibition, the Salmagundi Club
• Solo Exhibition, January 2006, The Argosy Gallery in Portland, Maine
• The Acadia Invitational Show, The Argosy Gallery
• Featured artist for the month of September 2006 at the Camden Falls Gallery

Memberships

• The Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Ave., New York City
• American Women Artists, Saint Jo, Texas
• Allied Artists of America
• Oil Painters of America