Johnny P. Johnson

Johnny P. Johnson. City of Fredericksburg, Virginia. , Beloved artist, teacher, husband, father, community leader, and friend., Known for his stunning abstracts, landscapes, and sensitively rendered figural paintings, Johnson was a respected member of Fredericksburg's arts community and won numerous awards for his artwork., Born in North Carolina in 1936, Johnny P. Johnson played basketball at Virginia State University before receiving a master's in fine arts from Howard University. Johnson arrived in Fredericksburg in 1959 and started teaching at the Walker-Grant School. Over the next 60 years, Johnson coached basketball, taught countless art courses, advocated for Civil Rights, served as a deacon at Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), and affected the lives of thousands of students, colleagues, and community members throughout the Fredericksburg region., Johnson married Jean Blackstock in 1961, and the couple had two sons, Shelton Thomas and John Patrick. The first African American faculty member at Mary Washington College, Johnson also taught at James Monroe High School and at Germanna Community College before retiring in 1991., [Captions:] , Top left: While Johnson planned to teach in Fredericksburg for only one year, he fell in love with local teacher Jean Blackstock and spent six decades giving back to his community. Johnny P. and Jean B. Johnson in 1968, courtesy The Free Lance-Star., Right: On July 7, 2018, the city of Fredericksburg celebrated "Johnny P. Johnson Day" and honored him with a mural created by local artist Bill Harris. Photograph by Peter Cihelka, courtesy The Free-Lance-Star., Johnson offered workshops at local community centers, arts, organizations, and correctional facilities, including this one in Stafford County in March 1973. Photograph by Barry Fitzgerald courtesy of The Free Lance-Star., Johnny P. Johnson passed away on November 5, 2022. His legacy lives on in his family, his art, and the thousands of community members he taught, helped, and supported. Photograph by Suzanne Carr Rossi, courtesy Germanna Community College.