The Florence County Museum Board is grateful to McLeod Health for their support of this exhibition. Along with the Florence County Museum, McLeod Health is committed to preserving the legacy of William H. Johnson by supporting exhibitions, conservation, and educational programs that enhance our understanding of Johnson and his contribution to 20th century art.
Kindred Spirit: The Personal Worlds of William H. Johnson
William H. Johnson (1901 - 1970) was a man between worlds: raised in the rural South, but educated in New York; black, but his unknown father was white; American-born, but lived much of his adult life in Europe. This diverse heritage gave Johnson a unique perspective and insight, but at times it was also a difficult shadow which followed him as he traveled the world in search of his true artistic voice.
Eventually, after many years away from his hometown of Florence, South Carolina, Johnson returned to the United States. Although living in New York, his art began to focus almost entirely on the lives and experiences of African Americans in the rural South.
My travels taught me that an artist must live and paint in his own environment… This development shall continue for the rest of my life, and it is the painting of my people. - WHJ, 1941
Florence County Museum is pleased to announce they are the recipient of the 2021 Southeastern Museums Conference Bronze Award in the under $25,000 category for their exhibition Kindred Spirit: The Personal Worlds of William H. Johnson. The SEMC Exhibition Competition showcases the best in the museum profession and provides benchmarks for regional exhibition efforts in southeastern museums.
Above: Holcha and William at their home studio in the Danish fishing village of Kerteminde, c1931, Photo courtesy of Johanna Voll, Denmark
