River Market ArtSpace

Burke Johnston

I have been "making art" of various kinds since I was a child. There were always creative materials around our house - sand boxes, fabric remnants, wood scraps and tools - in addition to the traditional crayons, pencils, and paper. I loved drawing and painting classes in school, and worked for many years in Arkansas as an interior designer specializing in commercial building projects. In 1993, I took my first jewelry-making class at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. It was "on then," as the expression goes. I was fascinated with the processes used to turn silver and copper into wearable art.

In 1998, I moved to Houston, Texas. While there, I studied jewelry design, fabrication, and enameling at the Glassell School of Art and took multiple workshops through the Houston Metal Arts Guild.

I am fortunate to be working in my own studio in Little Rock now. I still enjoy making jewelry and small sculpture. Each piece is made by me - one at a time. I think that is because I continue to love seeing brittle metals evolve into new fluid forms. Some of my pendant and brooch designs tell a bit of a personal story, but many of the pieces are simply studies in visual geometry. The final product is often a variation on the original conceptual drawing, because each step in production suggests some new design. Supposedly the creative muse sees many possibilities, and hopefully, the artist edits.

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Advanced Study, Interior & Furniture Design; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.

TRAINING IN METAL DESIGN & FABRICATION
Arkansas Arts Center Studio School; Jewelry Fabrication with Gary Hufford.
Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN; Soldering with Robly Glover.
Glassell School of Art, Houston, TX, eight semesters: Metal Design, Fabrication, Casting, Stone Setting, Enameling, with Sandi Zilker, Jan Harrell.
Glassell School of Art, Houston, TX; Torch-Fired Enamels with Marjorie Simon; Casting Methods, Stone Setting with Jeff Georgantes.
University of Houston; Tool Construction for Metalsmiths with Val Link; Forming Precious Metals with Mindy Herrin.
Arkansas Arts Center Studio School; Independent Study with Susan Campbell.
Arkansas Arts Center; Textile Techniques in Metal with Arline Fisch.
Columbus Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, OH; Cloisonne Enameling with Don Veihman.

SELECTED JURIED EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS
ARSENAL METALS & ENAMELS EXHIBITION: Columbus Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, OH 2006.
ROSENZWEIG BIENNIAL EXHIBITION: Selection of Original Works by Delta Artists, The Arts & Science Center, Pine Bluff, AR 2005.
REFINED III, SMALL FORMS IN PRECIOUS METALS: Stephen F. Austin University, Nacagdoches, TX 2004.
MATERIALS HARD & SOFT: A Contemporary Craft Exhibition, The Center for Visual Arts, Denton, TX 2004.
TOYS DESIGNED BY ARTISTS: Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR 1994, 2003, 2004, 2006.
DIA de los MEURTOS Show & Sale: Lawndale Art Museum, Houston, TX 2003.
ABOUT FACE, FOCUS ON JEWELRY & SMALL SCULPTURE: Goldesberry Gallery, Houston, TX 2002.
HOUSTON METAL ARTS GUILD: Annual Membership Shows, Houston, TX 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003.
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS ARTISTS’ EXHIBITION: Southeast Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado, AR 2000.
SERIOUS WHIMSY: Recent Work by Burke Johnston & Reita Miller: Arkansas Territorial Museum Gallery, Little Rock, 1995.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Society of North American Goldsmiths, Houston Metal Arts Guild, The Enamelists Society, Arkansas Friends of Contemporary Craft, Arkansas Registered Interior Designers.