UM Art Instructor Gets Arts Commission Grant

Jaime Johnson plans to use the money to continue work in historical photographic processes

Johnson is the recipient of a $4,500 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Johnson is the recipient of a $4,500 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission.

OXFORD, Miss. – The Mississippi Arts Commission has awarded a $4,500 grant to Jaime Johnson, an adjunct instructor in the University of Mississippi Department of Art and Art History.

The grant will allow Johnson to continue her work in historical photographic processes, which aligns Southern gothic, the woods of Mississippi, Victorian-era portraiture and Audubon-like documentations. Johnson’s work is printed onto hand-coated Japanese paper, and she combines digital and analog techniques to tell her story.

“It’s affirming to receive recognition for my work and an indication of the quality of the entire art department at Ole Miss,” Johnson said.

Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree in imaging arts from Ole Miss and her master’s degree in photography from Louisiana Tech.

Jaime Johnson's Bone Dress

Johnson’s ‘Bone Dress’

“Jaime Johnson possesses a distinctive narrative quality that is new and innovative, yet deeply rooted in the history of photography,” said Turry Flucker, arts industry director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. “The agency is honored to recognize her talents by giving her a visual arts fellowship.”

The grant, which is a portion of $1.61 million in grants awarded by the MAC in 2015 and 2016, is made possible by funding from the Mississippi Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

“The arts in Mississippi are now being recognized as a key component to economic development and as a driver for creative strategies for the growth of our communities,” said Tom Pearson, MAC executive director. “Individual artists play a vital role as really the backbone of this movement, and it is an honor for this agency to be a part of their professional growth.”