Wade Johnston is a multidisciplinary visual artist living in the central United States. With a background in graphic design and illustration, and formal training in painting and print making his work uses photography along with traditional materials to create abstract narratives for the viewer to decipher.
Wade attended the University of Kansas studying mechanical engineering only to decide at the end of his fourth year before graduating that it wasn’t where his true passions were. After an eighteen month break, he returned to school to pursue a degree in Fine Art with an emphasis on painting, print making, mixed media and at the time the emerging digital field. Post graduation he continued to work on his personal artworks while supporting himself as a graphic designer and illustrator while earning a masters degree in design communication from Pratt. Over the next 30 years he has continued to develop his visual style letting it evolve while continuing to look at pop culture, the media, and world event s for subject matter and inspiration. His work is held in private collections and has been displayed in numerous galleries and publications.
CV
Education
1990 BFA Studio Painting and Printmaking University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas
1996 MFA Design Pratt New York New York
Professional Experience
2019 – Present Full time multidisciplinary artist
2014-2019 Visual Design Manager The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
2000-2014 Guest lecturer and instructor at various universities for painting, drawing, and printmaking classes.
2004-2014 Sr. Designer, Art Director Hallmark Cards
1991-2004 Full time artist and writer.
Awards and Grants
2025 Best of Show “How Fargo Can You Go?” The Lab on Santa Fe, Denver
2025 Jurors Selection “Visual Impressions”, Ryan James Fine Art
2025 Artist of Merritt Award “State of the Art” Prairie Village Arts Center
2023 Arts Alliance Grant recipient
1998 Arts Council Grant Award
Publications
Novum Artis issue 13 – April 2026
New American Painting issue 180 West – Spring 2026
Studio Visit Magazine Volume 54 – February 2026
Novum Artis issue 10 – September 2025
Artist Close Up issue 24 Fall 2024
2024 Art Connect online interview
2023 Studio Visit Magazine Interview
Printmaking Magazine issue 26 – July 2023
Exhibitions
2026 KBM Gallery Los Angeles “New Year New Work” Group Show
2026 The Lab on Santa Fe Denver “Open” Group Show
2025 Art Scene West, San Diego “Modern Media” Group Show
2025 Juried Exhibition of the Idaherma Museum of Art Foundation. “United by Art” Group Show
2025 Art League Rhode Island “Truth Unveiled” Group Show
2025 The Lab on Santa Fe, Denver “How Fargo Can You Go” Group Show
2025 CCAN, Abilene National Juried Competition Group Show
2025 Prairie Village Arts Center, Prairie Village KS, “State of the Arts”
2025 Ryan James Fine Arts, Seattle – “Visual Impressions” Group Show
2024 The Art Districts, Baltimore – “Perspectives” Online group show
2021 Telephone Booth, Kansas City – “Emergence”
2019 Digital Exposure, Los Angeles – “Untitled Group Show”
2017 The Closet Gallery, Denver – “Like Minds, Bending Photography”
2010 Overland Gallery, Cleveland – Open Group Show
2008 Ford Goldman, San Diego – Open Group Show
2006 The Luminary Gallery, Portland “Symbols and Signs” Group Show
2005 Array, Fort Worth
2004 Hart/Schulman, Madison “Disrupted Realism”
2003 Prairie Village Arts Center, Prairie Village KS, “State of the Arts”
2001 Brownsville Building, Austin “Open Studios“
1999 Fox/Wang Gallery, Raleigh, Eugene “Today’s World” Group Show
1998 SEED, Los Angeles “Untitled” Group Show
1996 Hobbs Open Studios
1992 Lawrence Arts Center Regional Artist
All artwork on this website is created by Wade Johnston unless otherwise noted. The work shown on this website is copyright protected and not available for use outside of this domain or for training AI models without written permission from Wade Johnston the web site owner.