The Johnson Collection

The Johnson Collection The Johnson Collection The collection also seeks to enrich its local community by inviting the public to interact with these inspiring works of art.

Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Johnson Collection offers an extensive survey of artistic activity in the American South from the late eighteenth century to the present day. The Johnson family is committed to creating a collection which captures and illuminates the rich history and diverse cultures of the region. By making masterworks from its holdings available for critical exhibition

s and academic research, the collection hopes to advance interest in the dynamic role that the art of the South plays in the larger context of American art and to contribute to the canon of art historical literature.

TJC Gallery just got a refresh! Check out our new signage on your next visit sporting our brand new logo. Shout out to o...
05/29/2026

TJC Gallery just got a refresh!
Check out our new signage on your next visit sporting our brand new logo.

Shout out to our awesome partners at Social Design House for helping us create our new logo and brand refresh. More exciting things are coming soon. đź‘€

Open today at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center: Black Mountain COLL(A)GE Showcasing a wide variety of tec...
05/29/2026

Open today at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center:
Black Mountain COLL(A)GE

Showcasing a wide variety of techniques of accumulation, selection, and reinterpretation—broadly interpreted as collage—the exhibition will encompass two-dimensional visual works, three-dimensional assemblages, poems, performances, and more. Featuring on TJC's "Veiled Figures" by Jean Varda on loan.

Greek artist Jean Varda had already been exploring glass mosaics and Greek mythology when he was invited to teach at BMC in 1946. Known for “using everything but the kitchen-stove,” Varda incorporated various found textiles and other materials into his mosaics and collages depicting beautiful women and exotic cityscapes. The institution's fascination with both the material and metaphysical elements of "Collage" made him a perfect addition to the esteemed faculty.

Black Mountain College’s legend is written in names. Albers. Asawa. de Kooning. Cunningham. Jennerjahn. Lawrence. Harris...
05/28/2026

Black Mountain College’s legend is written in names. Albers. Asawa. de Kooning. Cunningham. Jennerjahn. Lawrence. Harrison. Cage. Twombly. Rauschenberg. Noland. Fuller. Creeley. Olson—the list goes on—and so does the story. Over 30 years ago, Emmy-winning director David Royle began filming the last remaining voices of Black Mountain College capturing unseen performances and stories. Now, with guidance from Larry Wheeler, Director Emeritus of the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Black Mountain Legacy Film Project nonprofit is completing the film for 2026. Follow the documentary’s progress on its newly launched website.

Images Top Left to Bottom Right:

"Two students walking from the farm to the fields in the summer of 1944." Photo by Josef Breitenbach. © Josef and Yaye Breitenbach Charitable Foundation. Courtesy Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina.

"New Studies Building, Black Mountain College postcard"
circa 1940 – 1942, Vintage postcard, Fredrick Photogelatine Press, Inc., New York, N. Y.

"Dance class in front of Lee Hall," ca. 1939
Sue Spayth Riley Papers. Courtesy of the Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina

"Lake Eden," Black Mountain Documentary.com

The students, from the back of the photograph, left to right, are Hope Stephens, Bela Martin, Fred Stone, Bettey Brett, Robert De Niro, Eunice Shifris, Martha McMillan, Claude Stoller, and Mimi French. Unknown photographer. Courtesy of Black Mountain College Collection, Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina.

"Studies Building, Black Mountain College" Courtesy of Black Mountain College Collection, Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina.

"Buckminster Fuller and students test geodesic dome," 1947, Collection of Masato Nakagawa, Gift of Mary Emma Harris, Black Mountain College Project. Courtesy of the Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina

Quite a few of TJC's artists have served in the United States military, from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. Henry Gas...
05/25/2026

Quite a few of TJC's artists have served in the United States military, from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. Henry Gasser painted this scene around the time of his assignment at Spartanburg's Camp Croft in 1944. Military service often provided art school funding and travel opportunities, and supplied material inspiration that would last a lifetime. Yet the prerequisites could never outweigh the immense tragedy of any armed conflict. On Memorial Day, we mourn and honor those who have lost their lives while serving in the US Armed Forces, and we remember why peace is so important.

See Henry Gasser's "Soldiers at Rest" in "Sweet Home Spartanburg" at TJC Gallery

Henry Gasser (1909 – 1981) • Soldiers at Rest • circa 1940s

"Subject matter is neither pretty nor ugly, as the beauty of a painting lies in the work itself. Everything is worthy of...
05/22/2026

"Subject matter is neither pretty nor ugly, as the beauty of a painting lies in the work itself. Everything is worthy of being painted, even a gray day."
– Mary Whyte, An Artist's Way of Seeing

Opening today at the Gibbes Museum of Art is Mary Whyte: Salt of the Earth.

Known for her expressive, large-scale watercolors of contemporary Americans, Whyte celebrates the nation’s Semiquincentennial with twenty-six masterful works, along with site-specific drawings on the Gibbes walls. See TJC's "Tips" by Mary Whyte on loan to this exhibition.

05/14/2026

Now at TJC Gallery: TJC Dollhouses! A paper craft from our “home” to yours. Grab your supplies on your visit to Sweet Home Spartanburg to make at home or make with us at the Gallery. Available for free throughout the entire run of the exhibition. Enjoy this how to video to lead you through!

Next Thursday! Join TJC and our co-curators for a special two-activity ArtWalk on May 21. At 6:30 PM Abigail Hoffman and...
05/14/2026

Next Thursday!

Join TJC and our co-curators for a special two-activity ArtWalk on May 21. At 6:30 PM Abigail Hoffman and Brad Steinecke will give a behind-the-scenes gallery talk detailing how Sweet Home Spartanburg came together. Then both curators will be on hand throughout the evening to lead visitors in a home-themed craft!

Photo by

William Tolliver was a self-taught artist whose large family and humble Mississippi upbringing served as frequent subjec...
05/13/2026

William Tolliver was a self-taught artist whose large family and humble Mississippi upbringing served as frequent subject matter in his early years. Though he studied carpentry in the Job Corps and worked as a sculptor’s assistant, art would remain Tolliver’s hobby for private joy rather than a means of income for decades, until his wife sold nine of his paintings in 1985 through a gallery.

Tolliver’s works often include an overarching focus on color, light, and his subjects’ heritage. In this portrait, the warm, vibrant chaos in the background melts away with the smooth, cool-toned palette of the woman’s apron, fan, and bible, inviting the viewer into her calm, concentrated study. On his work, Tolliver said “I have worked very hard to portray African Americans with pride and dignity. My goal is to bring to the forefront the seriousness of art as a person’s heritage. I want my art to serve as a history lesson."

William Tolliver (1951 – 2000) • Profile Portrait of a Woman Reading a Bible • On view now at TJC Gallery

Join Alix Refshauge and TJC for a session of Free Yoga next Monday, May 18, at 5:45 PM. This class is for all skill leve...
05/11/2026

Join Alix Refshauge and TJC for a session of Free Yoga next Monday, May 18, at 5:45 PM. This class is for all skill levels; please bring your own mat and props.

Can't make it to our free practice? Enjoy Tranquil Tuesdays every Tuesday at 9 AM for $10. All levels are welcome. As always, spaces in this class are first-come, first-served!

Address

154 W Main Street
Spartanburg, SC
29306

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 4pm
Thursday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+18645945840

Website

https://linktr.ee/the_johnsoncollection, https://thejohnsoncollection.myflodesk.com/cj

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