Bio

A. Jane Johnston makes gouache paintings based on countless hours of watching old mystery television shows.  In 2007 she became permanently disabled due to bipolar disorder.

Johnston began painting because it was manageable and fun.

In the psychiatric wards, television is a frequent tranquillizer, even with its many ads of unobtainable comforts such as coffee, treats, and fast food. Johnston found in certain old mystery shows comfort, humor, and camaraderie.

I don’t know how long I can stay like this.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Chapter 2: boredom and fear and anger…..Jonathan Livingston Seagull,
C. Bass International Fine Arts Co., Beacon, NY.  January 22 – March 5, 2011.

Gaslit! C. Bass International Fine Arts Co., Beacon, NY.  March 19 –
April 30, 2011.

Harlem gallery (name forgotten) project space room curated by Nari Ward. December 2005.

Faculty Show, Pratt Munson Williams Proctor, Utica, NY.  2005.

Out of the Loop  Co-curated with Erica Baum a series of international video art screenings at Barbes, Brooklyn, NY.  2004-2005.

Hunter College Gallery MFA Thesis Exhibition, NYC.  May 2003.

American Fine Arts Collaboration with Christian Philipp Mueller in the Election show, the final show of the gallery, NYC.  Fall 2003.

RECENT EXPERIENCE

Local Governmental Blogger Newburgh, NY 2006-2015 (site since defunct)
Publisher of a citizen journalist website.  Covered City of Newburgh and Orange County, NY, including city council, county legislative, and county industrial development agency decisions.  Sought input from NYS Comptroller’s Office, NYS Authorities Budget Office, US Housing and Urban Development Agency, among others.  Briefly collaborated with a nonprofit that focused on federal agency activity, “Understanding Government.”  Attended citizen journalism conferences in Amherst, MA; Boston, MA, and Minneapolis, MN.
A major focus of the blog was explaining the application of state and federal laws to activities taking place at the local level.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Assistant Professor of Digital Media Albright College, Reading, PA
Fall 2006-Spring 2007

Adjunct Professor  Albright College, Reading, PA Spring 2006
Taught Introduction to Digital Media.

Adjunct Professor Pratt Munson Williams Proctor, Utica, NY
Spring 2004-Spring 2005
Taught freshmen courses, “Introduction to Time Arts/4D 1 and 2” including digital video, sound art, and performance art. 

Adjunct Professor  Pratt College, Brooklyn, NY Fall 2001-Spring 2002
Taught Introduction to Digital Video from an arts perspective,
including basic lighting, camera usage, form and content.

Yale College Film Studies Students Video Editing Workshops 
Taught digital editing to senior undergraduates. 1999 and 2000.

Private Tutorials Taught individuals at Harvestworks Media Art Center,
as well as individual artists privately, 1998-2000.

LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS

Easton Pribble Memorial Lecture
Munson Williams Proctor Institute, Utica, NY 2005. 

Hunter College Visiting speaker, graduate seminar class, 2004.

College Art Association Conference, Chair of Panel
“Video Art” Atlanta, GA 2002.

EDUCATION

BA Art, Yale College, New Haven, CT 1994. 
Focus in sculpture with extensive study in photography and film studies.

Video Artist Summer Resident,
Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting, Skowhegan, ME, 2000.

MFA Combined Media, Hunter College CUNY, New York, NY 2003. 
Carolyn David Horowitz Memorial Award, 2003. 
Co-President of the MFA Student Organization, a group of 150+ students, 2002-2003.

ORGANIZATIONS

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (NY) – current artist membership

College Art Association – former member

Investigative Reporters & Editors – former member