The Art of the Acquisition
TJC Gallery
March 24, 2021 – June 5, 2021
Since 2002, the Johnson Collection has collected paintings, prints, drawings, and sculpture that represent the rich history and diverse cultures of the American South. With over twelve hundred objects in its holdings, the collection is dedicated to sharing its art with the public through loans to regional and international museums, scholarly publications, and hometown exhibitions at TJC Gallery.
This presentation highlights select works acquired by the Johnson Collection in recent years. On display for the first time at TJC Gallery, the array of artists, subject matter, and artistic styles on view speaks to the curatorial process behind each individual acquisition. Grouped according to central themes and collecting strategies and featuring works by Josef Albers, Albert Backus, Romare Bearden, Andrew Bucci, John Cage, Marie Calloway, Robert Courtright, G. Caliman Coxe, Thornton Dial, Lamar Dodd, Joseph Downing, Robert Duncanson, John Howard, Clementine Hunter, Gregory Ivy, Jasper Johns, Alberta Kinsey, Ida Kohlmeyer, Charles McGee, Gari Melchers, Corrine Mitchell, Philip Moose, Gertrude Morgan, Dan Rice, Arthur Rose, Oli Sihvonen, Thomas Sills, Robert Turner, Albert Wells, and Walter Williams, The Art of the Acquisition illuminates the curatorial considerations that further the Johnson Collection’s stewardship of Southern art.
––Arianna Harley, Wofford College, Class of 2021
In support of Spartanburg’s designation as a “College Town, USA” and in accord with the Johnson family’s strong commitment to education, the Johnson Collection currently offers two competitive, comprehensive internships to students at Converse College and Wofford College each academic year. Open to senior art history majors with an interest in employment or advanced study in the field, these semester-long placements offer selected students the opportunity to advance research and curatorial skills through developing, writing, and installing an exhibition here at TJC Gallery.