About Us

A Private Collection for Public Good

Study for “Marion and His Men in the Swamp” by William Dickinson Washington

Study for “Marion and His Men in the Swamp”William Dickinson Washington

Peach Blossom SpringHorace Day

What began in 2002 as a family’s interest in paintings connected to the Carolinas has grown into one of the nation’s leading private collections devoted to Southern art. Today, the Collection encompasses more than 1,400 works spanning the centuries and chronicling the cultural evolution of the American South.

The Johnson Collection counts iconic masterworks among its holdings, as well as representative pieces by an astonishing depth and breadth of artists, native and visiting, whose lives and legacies form the foundation of Southern art history. From William D. Washington’s The Burial of Latané to Malvin Gray Johnson’s Roll Jordan Roll, the Collection embraces the region’s rich history and confronts its complexities, past and present.

Through exhibitions, loans, scholarship, and public programs, the Collection makes its holdings available to audiences and contributes to a broader understanding of the South’s essential place within American art history.

Cultural Stewardship

George & Susu Johnson

The Johnson Collection was founded by George Dean Johnson Jr. and Susan “Susu” Phifer Johnson, whose commitment to preserving significant works of Southern art and ensuring that they remain part of an ongoing cultural and scholarly conversation became the foundation for the Collection.

As Susu has reflected, “it was always the sense of place that drew George and me to beautiful pictures”—a connection that became the starting point for a much broader exploration of Southern art.

Susan "Susu" Johnson

Susu Johnson serves as Chief Executive Officer of The Johnson Collection. An alumna and life trustee of Converse University, she has long been engaged in civic, educational, and cultural initiatives in Spartanburg and throughout South Carolina. Her community leadership has included service on the boards of Brookgreen Gardens, Spoleto Festival USA, and numerous nonprofit organizations, as well as the Spartanburg City Council. She spearheaded the establishment of Meeting Street Academy–Spartanburg and has served on the leadership board of Spartanburg Academic Movement and Girl Scouts of South Carolina Midlands to Mountains.

Three Red RosesEugene Thomason

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George Dean Johnson Jr.

George Johnson is a business leader, entrepreneur, and public servant. He is the founder and chairman of Johnson Development Associates and has held executive and board positions with a number of publicly traded companies. His civic leadership has included service in the South Carolina House of Representatives, as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and as chair of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Wofford College, he earned his juris doctorate from the University of South Carolina.

InfernoWilliam Halsey

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A Growing Legacy

For Susu and George, collecting began with an appreciation for works that captured the landscapes, communities, and histories of the region. Now the Johnson family’s commitment to the Collection extends across generations. Their children, Susanna Johnson Shannon and Geordy Johnson, are integrally involved in the family’s business and philanthropic initiatives, including TJC. Susanna, who holds a degree in art history from Washington & Lee University and a master’s degree in fundraising and grantmaking from New York University, serves as a curatorial advisor to the Collection. Geordy, a graduate of Washington & Lee University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serves as chief executive officer of The Johnson Group.

The Collection continues to evolve as a family initiative with a public purpose: to preserve significant works of Southern art, encourage scholarship, and make the region’s artistic heritage accessible to audiences at home and beyond.