BLOGS

I rose from my deathbed last week — just a bad cold, but I'm always looking for sympathy — to attend Fred Johnson's wonderful art opening at the Graves Gallery at Wenatchee Valley College. It was something I couldn't miss. Hopefully, I didn't pass my cold around to too many people there.

But the effort was fabulously worthwhile as would be any art lover's subsequent visit. The show runs until March 24.

Johnson, now 83 and weak after bouts with cancer and ALS, is a descendent of one Dryden's first settlers. Before moving into the Epledalen Retirement and Assisted Living Apartments a few years ago, he was an orchardist. It was something he loved and did well for more than 40 years.

But he was also an artist. It wasn't a well-kept secret to family and friends, but most people never saw the work of his true inspiration.

After a bloody, distressing stint in Europe during World War II, Johnson attended the University of Washington, where he earned bachelors and masters degrees in art. He later attended the prestigious Academie Julien in Paris and bathed in the atmosphere of the European art world for another couple of years. Previous students of the school include Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard and Marcel Duchamp among many other famed artists.

For nearly 10 years as an art student and several more as an orchardist, Johnson painted his canvases. Much of the work is in the drab-colored, expressionistic style popularized by Pablo Picasso in 1920s and '30s and still popular in France in the 1950s. Most of Johnson's work — scores of paintings — stayed rolled up for years in his attic in Dryden for decades as his days became filled with the ongoing toil of orcharding. And supporting other artists.

Thanks to his good friend and caretaker, Tom Corey, a few others and directors of the Graves Gallery, about 40 of Johnson's paintings are now on display for the first time in one show.

I sat with Fred in his apartment on two or three occasions for several hours while writing a story about him in 2008. He showed me a couple examples of his work at that time. But it was truly a different and wonderful experience to be surrounded by his paintings — at least one of them, titled The Pruners, blended his life as artist and orchardist — in a gallery setting suddenly thrown a half-century back in time. Fred was there in his wheelchair and seemed to enjoy seeing people see his nearly forgotten work.

It's really a show worth seeing for anyone who appreciates art and art history. And it's a wonderful example of how diverse and talented people can be, even those who live right next door.

Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Admission is free.

Comments

Want to comment on this story? All Wenatchee World members are invited to comment on stories, by using the form below. Please know that we at wenatcheeworld.com hope our site is useful, entertaining and civil. So we'll delete comments that are obscene, abusive or way off topic. We appreciate it when readers use the "suggest removal" button to flag inappropriate comments. For more about interacting with the site, see our Use Policy.

mistypaw     1 year, 10 months ago

Johnson art show not to be missed

Discovered after a half century Frederic's work is a cultural experience for the Wenatchee area. Fred has supported the visual arts as a benefactor to the Two Rivers Gallery, an art cooperative of over 100 area artists. Frederic M. Johnson's paintings will be featured at the Two Rivers Gallery beginning May 7th at their First Friday reception 5PM-8PM, continuing through June.

Upvote 0

Post reply

• Sign in to reply
• Suggest removal

joanne     1 year, 10 months ago

Johnson art show not to be missed

We'll have to go see that. Thanks for the info.

Upvote 0

Post reply

• Sign in to reply
• Suggest removal

Sign in to comment