Founded in 1942 by John H. Johnson, the Johnson Publishing Company has grown to become the largest African-American-owned publishing firm in the United States. Although known for Jet magazine, the Ebony Fashion Fair, and Black-syndicated television shows, my applause focuses on its impact on African-American art.
The company’s former headquarters at 820 S. Michigan Avenue was built in 1973, and lauded as the first Black-owned office building erected on this prestigious street. And, significantly, the edifice was designed by John Moutoussamy, a Black architect.
Almost immediately, Eunice and John Johnson began to acquire more than 100 works of art to be included in the Johnson Art Collection. Their goal was to assemble, and prominently display, works created by African-American artists. They commissioned Chicago sculptor, Richard Hunt to create a major wall installation which continues to be prominently displayed in the lobby.
On every floor of the building, in each office, employees and visitors became witness to this fresh exposure of extraordinary art and artists. Surely for many observers, this collection was a revelation. And for the lucky artists in the collection, it was indeed a “seal of approval.”
Looking back, I can see that Eunice Walker Johnson, daughter of a physician and a graduate of Talladega College, must’ve been the mastermind of the Johnson Art Collection. At the college, she was exposed to the monumentally-scaled murals painted 1939-42 by African American artist Hale Woodruff, and other works by the talented faculty at her historically Black alma mater. I can envision young Eunice advancing in the exhilarating atmosphere of important African-American art. (Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals at Talladega College).
Eventually, other Black-owned businesses, like Burrell Advertising, followed the Johnson’s lead. But, it wasn’t until 1987 that there appeared a Chicago art gallery representing African-American artists. That recognition belongs to Isobel Neal, who opened the first Black-owned showcase in the esteemed West Superior Street gallery district.
Along with these trailblazers, credit also goes to the Southside Community Art Center, where artists like Gordon Parks, Elizabeth Catlett, Charles White, and Hughie Lee-Smith gained support and exposure. Later, the DuSable Museum of African American History became another vital institution to introduce art and artists, and many others.
When I became part of this amazing assembly, I knew I had found my life’s work, one that intrinsically fit my aesthetic and political philosophy. My goal, when I started my art advisory business in 1992 became: To inspire a cadre of patrons, arbiters of taste, who would then build influential private and corporate collections of African-American art, thus bringing these talented artists to a wider, appreciative audience.
For what they have meant to this city, to the world of African-American art, and to me personally, I hereby formally acknowledge my gratitude to Eunice and John Johnson.
