Donna Johnston  formerly of Sylvania, and Toledo, Ohio, is  now living in Traverse City, Michigan for 6 months of the year, and in Sun City, Georgetown, Texas for the winter months each year.  

An art educator of 32 years in the Toledo, Ohio area, teaching  Art  K – 12 at Maumee Valley Country Day School, then as Art Coordinator with the Adams Township Schools. 

Art Supervisor with Toledo Public Schools .

Art Coordinator and In-service Supervisor for the Washington Local Schools, helping to Develop a State recognized Art Department for K-12. 

Served as one of the Editors for the State Art Guide for both Elementary and Secondary Schools of Ohio; working with the State Art Education Department. 

Art Instructor for children’s  Saturday Art Classes at the Toledo Museum of Art for 14 years. 

Taught Classes in Creativity for the Young Child; Art for the Classroom Teacher, Assorted Crafts classes for Adults;  at Eastern Michigan  and Toledo University.

Conducted Numerous in-service classes for teachers in Lucas County, at Findlay College, and at Brighton, Michigan , also at Bowling Green University  as well as working with student teachers from Toledo University, Bowling Green, Ohio University, Miami and Ohio State.  

Education includes:  Bachelor of Art Education,  Masters of Education,  Specialist in Art Administration… 

Exhibited in juried Shows….   Toledo Museum of Art, May Show, Crosby Gardens Shows, Athena Group Shows,   Northern Michigan Artists Group Shows, NMPotters &Sculptors Guild Shows in  Traverse Area , Arts Council juried show of Watercolors at the public Library; and the Hui No’Eau  juried Printmaking Exhibit on  Maui.   

Donna and husband, Chuck have owned and operated Gallery and Gift Shops since 1972, first in Sylvania, Ohio, and after retirement in  Leland , Michigan and Traverse City .  Now having sold the Leland and Traverse City Galleries, Donna is concentrating on her  multi-media interests of painting, pottery, printmaking , paper making, as well as  creating hand painted and hand stitched pillow tops.  

    A studio for pottery at her home has intensified her interest in ceramics and sculpture, and glazing techniques.  The studio allows her to work daily in that studio, either on the wheel, or experimenting with hand building techniques.  Classes in ceramics, watercolor and papermaking, are taught periodically during the Spring and Fall in her studio.

 One media seems to lend ideas for the others. A painterly approach to ceramic decoration is being developed utilizing a new approach that was taught during a class attended at Arrowmont, Gatlinburg, Tenn. a few years ago.   Learning in each media is an ongoing adventure, each day presents the decision that must be made….”Am I to be a potter?   a painter?  a papermaker  or  a printmaker  today??? “

Problem solving is the challenge of each media and totally absorbs the thinking process.  

“I feel so lucky to have the opportunity for the continuing learning and creative involvement presented by the arts.  As I work in my studio, many times I think of the students that I had the pleasure of working with, and some of their ideas and solutions to the projects I had presented to them, years ago, come into my mind for expansion in my own work..   We really are a culmination of all of life’s experiences as creative beings.  I have been particularly lucky to have had such great teachers, as well as students to serve as catalysts in my memory for my current work.”  As Arthur Coombs wrote “ We are always in the process of becoming.” 

Donna’s art work is in several private collections in Ohio, Texas, Michigan, California, Maui and Florida.  Her work is shown and sold in Bella Galleria on the Penninsula, in Traverse City, in Art and Soul in downtown Traverse, and in  Flying Colors in Glen Arbor, Michigan, and in the Empire Michigan, Art Gallery. . She is also represented in  American Gallery in Sylvania, Ohio.  

Her  Traverse City, Multi-media Studio is open by appointment only.

Donna Johnston 

End of the Road Studio

7200 S. Shugart Rd.

Traverse City, Michigan,49684

1-231- 947-3081  

Donna and Husband, Chuck are now enjoying the many offerings at Sun City, Georgetown Texas for six months each year .   She is a member of the Ceramic Studio and the Visual Arts Studio, as well as painting at her home  studio in Sun City. 1-512/868-1254