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Mary Owens Davidson

Registrar and Librarian

mdavidson@thejohnsoncollection.org

Mary Owens Davidson is the Registrar and Librarian, and her responsibilities generally include the stewardship, documentation, accessibility, and interpretation of objects in the Collection. She manages the digital and physical files on TJC’s objects and artists, which encompasses research, provenance, and exhibition documentation. She also keeps TJC’s Special Library organized and accessible to internal staff and visiting curators. Mary graduated summa cum laude from Converse University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minors in Studio Art, Philosophy, and Environmental Studies. She received her Master of Science in Marine Biology from University College Cork. Outside of work, she loves illustrating, oil painting, and watching movies on Criterion.

Favorite Piece from the Collection

I admire James Herring for his philosophy that artists shouldn’t be restricted creatively by what they look like or where they come from; artists should create what speaks to them. Made during Herring’s early days teaching at Howard University sometime around 1925, this small, cheerful landscape is an excellent reflection of the French Impressionists he admired. It’s the picture of a perfect breezy day. With a painting like this, one can easily draw a connection between impressionistic painters and the old Latin aphorism, carpe diem!