Artist Biography

Kerrick Johnson's emphasis on materiality owes much in part to his progressive education in Greenville, South Carolina, where he studied painting, jewelry, design, and film at the Fine Arts Center high school. This school's focus is to train young talented artists how to develop and create artwork at an early age. While he focused on ceramics at the Fine Art Center, “The look I was searching for was glass,” he said.

In pursuit of this "look", Johnson moved to New Orleans to study the art of glassblowing at the New Orleans School of Glassworks. This is where Johnson realized his ability and desire to create glass. New Orleans Glasswork offered a taste of glass, but didn't have an intense focus in glass. He took the recommendation of the Glassworks staff and enrolled at the Appalachian Center for Craft under artist Curtiss Brock at the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee.

During his time at Appalachian Center for Craft, Johnson received several awards including five Niche competitions and the Bacchanal scholarship. His most valuable opportunity and experience was becoming the primary glass working assistant to Curtiss Brock. Johnson collaborated with Brock to develop new cold working processes not used in traditional glass.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Glass and a minor in art history from the Appalachian Center for Crafts in 2002, he built a glass studio and equipment for an artist. He then moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to work as a glass studio manager for Ignis Glass. During this time, he cold-worked for several artists such as Greg Fiddler and Curtiss Brock. Simultaneously Johnson was developing and refining his own look with glass. He was awarded a competitive "Arts Move" grant from Allied Arts of Chattanooga to build a house and studio in a developing downtown neighborhood. In 2005, he started Kerrick Johnson Glass Studio, where each of his sculptures are created. His glass blowing studio will join his cold working and metal studio in 2010.

Artist Resume

Education

1992 – 1994 Concentration in Ceramics, Fine Arts Center Magnet School, Greenville, SC
1995 Workshops at New Orleans Glassworks, New Orleans, LA
1996 – 2002 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Glass), Minor in Art History, Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University, Smithville, TN.
Student under Curtiss Brock

Work Experience

2006 - present Kerrick Johnson Glass Studio - Chattanooga, TN, Owner
2011 Summer Pilchuck Glass School - Stanwood, WA, Faculty, Cold Shop Coordinator, Lead Cold Worker for Pilchuck Center Pieces, Pilchuck Auction Gala, Lead Cold Worker for Bruce Mau
2005 – 2009 Ignis Glass Studio - Chattanooga, TN, Studio Manager, Cold Shop Gaffer, Tech
2007, 2010 Visiting Artist, Appalachian Center for Craft
2005 – 2007 Greg Fidler, Cold Work (Stone Engraving)
1998 – 2007 Curtiss Brock, Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, TN, Hot Shop Assistant, Cold Shop Assistant
2002 – 2004 Studio 338 for Lea Bryan, Owner, Smithville, TN, Ground up construction of glass blowing studio
1998 – 2001 Katherine Rahn, Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, TN, Hot Shop Assistant, Cold Shop Assistant
1998 – 2001 Mary Gaston – Visiting Artist, Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, TN, Gaffer, Hot Shop Gaffer, Cold Shop Gaffer

Exhibitions & Awards

2011 Pilchuck Auction Gala Live Auction, Seattle, WA
2011 Nordstrom Window Display Pilchuck Auction, Seattle, WA
2011 Liberty Arts Museum Auction Gala Live Auction, Philadelphia, PA
2011 GlassWeekend ‘11, Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, Millville, NJ
2011 "New Works" Group Exhibition, Stewart Fine Art Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
2010 "Cutting Edge" Solo Exhibition, Marta Hewett Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2010 Center Pieces, "Hunter Museum of Art Gala", Chattanooga, TN
2010 "National Liberty Museum Gala", National Liberty Museum, Philidephia, PA
2010 "Pilchuck Auction" Gala Event, Stanwood, WA
2010 "Red Hot Auction" Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA
2010 Palm Beach Fine Craft Show, Palm Beach, FL
2009 Palm Beach Fine Craft Show, Palm Beach, FL
2008 Washington Craft Show, Washington, DC
2008 American Craft Expo, Evanston, IL
2008 Coconut Grove Arts Fesival, Miami, FL
2008 4Bridges Arts Festival, Chattanooga, TN
2007 4Bridges Arts Festival, “Best 3D Design,” Chattanooga, TN
2007 Plaza Art Fair, Kansas City, MO
2005 Third Anniversary Show, Multitudes Gallery, Blue Ridge, GA
2001 “Glass Symposium” at River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
2001 Hunter Museum of Art Slide Lecture and Glass Blowing demonstrations, Chattanooga, TN

Grants

2011 Create Here “Make Work Grant” for $7800, Chattanooga, TN
2006 Allied Arts “Arts Move” Grant for $15,000, Chattanooga, TN

Publications

2011 “Craft Arts International”, Portfolio Profile, Volume 83
2010 “Glass Art Society”, Profiled Artist article, June Issue
2010 Selected for Best of Worldwide Glass Artists, Volume 1
2010 “American Style Magazine Feature, Emerging Artists Of 2010” December, Edition 74
2010 J+J/Invision Commercial Carpet - Featured Artist at NeoCon 2010 Show
2009 J+J/Invision Commercial Carpet - Featured Artist for International Rebranding Campaign