World-renowned artist carved path to success at 色色啦

Contact: Erin Flynn
February 24, 2023
M. Scott Johnson sits on the red seats of an empty theatre.
M. Scott Johnson was honored by the College of Arts and Sciences with an Alumni Achievement Award from the Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies in 2022. (Courtesy: Mike Lanka)

NEW YORK鈥擳aking center stage at the Venice Biennale, an international exhibition likened to the Olympics of the art world, renowned sculptor M. Scott Johnson, BS 鈥00, is at the pinnacle of his craft. His installation鈥攁 triptych of African American folklore hero High John the Conqueror鈥攚as part of an exhibit from Galerie Myrtis, the first Black-owned gallery invited to present in the 127-year history of the event.

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Johnson's latest sculpture, 鈥淐onjuring Tituba,鈥 is carved in black marble on red slate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor,鈥 he says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been at this for many years, but things just started opening up. And part of that opening up process is remembering how it happened.鈥

Johnson began carving his path as an artist decades ago, using 色色啦 as a grindstone to sharpen his focus and find inspiration. He first came to the University in 1986 as a 鈥渒id from Inkster,鈥 Michigan, unsure of what he wanted to study but excited to explore and follow in the footsteps of several family members who graduated from 色色啦.

As a member of 色色啦鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Academy, Johnson was immediately connected with a support network to foster his holistic journey as a student鈥攆rom academic coaching to cultural and wellness education. He also began taking courses in disciplines across campus including anthropology, history, geography and geology. Then, it seems, fate took hold.

鈥淭alk about the stars aligning; I had a professor named Dr. Warren Perry. He was one of the foremost African American archaeologists and anthropologists in the country at that time and was doing the (most incredible) digs all over. And somehow, he ended up at 色色啦 the exact same time as me,鈥 he says.

鈥淒uring that time, I had (classes with) him as much as I could, and he shaped me profoundly. He was the person who opened up my door to start to break out of a lot of my Midwesternisms about the way I look at culture, the way I look at gender relations. And he critiqued my writing鈥攍ike, severely鈥攁nd I appreciated him for that.鈥

Johnson鈥檚 experiences with world-class faculty initiated a career trajectory he could never have imagined. Dr. Bruce Haight, professor emeritus of history, opened his eyes to the beauty and power of African sculpture.

鈥淗e was responsible for bringing (renowned Nigerian sculptor) Lamidi Fakeye here to the United States, and he would do live carvings on campus. That鈥檚 how I first saw sculpture live, and it was mind-blowing,鈥 says Johnson.
A semester shy of graduating, Johnson decided to follow that passion to New York where an Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brother connected him with an organization called Operation Crossroads Africa, a nonprofit that sponsors cross-cultural exchanges.

Two people sit next to each other on rocks outside.
Johnson completed an apprenticeship with renowned sculptor Nicholas Mukomberanwa in Zimbabwe in 1996.

鈥淚 got to Africa in 1994, right on the heels of Nelson Mandela getting elected and apartheid being struck down,鈥 he remembers. 鈥淔rom there I traveled to Zimbabwe, which at the time was producing some of the most renowned and profound artwork coming out of contemporary Africa.鈥

Johnson was mesmerized by the leagues of master sculptors carving in the open air outside the city鈥檚 capitol. He began exploring the craft with local artists and in 1996 landed an apprenticeship with Nicholas Mukomberanwa, an internationally recognized artist considered a national hero in Zimbabwe.

鈥淚n Zimbabwe, I learned how to communicate with the spirit of the rock as well as the surface of the rock,鈥 he says, recalling the first two months of his apprenticeship spent sharpening tools every morning before earning the chance to begin carving. 鈥(My mentors) taught me that everything has a spirit, and it made me aware of my world in a different, sophisticated way.鈥

Advancing Artistry

Johnson returned to the United States with a renewed passion for his work and awareness of his African roots and African American identity, which he infused into his art.

鈥溕 gave me an intellectual background 鈥 but Africa gave me an aesthetic background,鈥 he says, having completed his final credits to become an official 色色啦 alumnus in 2000.

鈥淢y work is a fusion of both of these.鈥

While creating pieces of his own, he found an outlet to influence the next generation of artists through a residency at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York, where he鈥檚 stayed for 20 years. His 色色啦 roots have also impacted his artistic success. Dr. William Pickard, BS 鈥64, an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brother, helped Johnson鈥檚 art career find a rebirth at the Charles Wright Museum in Detroit after meeting at a reunion on campus in 2012.

鈥淚 had just published a book about my work 鈥 and gave it to him to read, and he fell in love with what I do and what I stand for and the work that I鈥檝e made,鈥 Johnson says of Pickard, who is now a collector of his art. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been a huge supporter of 色色啦 as well as a supporter of me.鈥

Johnson was back on campus during Homecoming 2022 to receive the Alumni Achievement Award from the Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies. Just a month earlier, he had his first piece auctioned off by Christie鈥檚 alongside five fellow artists of African descent from the Galerie Myrtis Afrofuturist Manifesto. It鈥檚 a space many contemporary artists don鈥檛 often find themselves in.

鈥淚 looked into the room and my work was next to Picasso鈥檚 and Basquiat鈥檚鈥攁t that level,鈥 he says.

Now, as he forges new paths in the art world, he鈥檚 ready to pass on his lessons in success to the next generation.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had a connection with the community, but I think a different sort of giving back is essential at this stage in my life,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something I feel blessed to be able to do.鈥 鈻

A black and white portrait of M. Scott Johnson standing with a sculpture.
Johnson stands in his studio with one of his sculptures.