C. Farrell Johnson Fine Arts, LLC

In 1980, as Cynthia Farrell Johnson prepared for her first diplomatic assignment in West Africa, a friend warned that no matter where she went, it would be smart to ask permission before taking someone's picture. In many parts of the world, people can become offended when foreign visitors take their photos. Not wanting to bother anyone, Johnson decided to record what she saw in sketches. They eventually developed into paintings of the things that she thought were unique. This became a habit and the paintings became visual diaries that she often referred to as personal postcards. In fact, her first exhibition at Parish Gallery of Georgetown was entitled "Postcards to Myself."

As long as she can remember, Johnson wanted to be an artist. While her parents nurtured this dream, they were also pragmatists, suggesting she study another subject besides art, "just in case." Hence, after graduating from New York City's High School of Art & Design, she majored in art history at State University of New York's College at New Paliz, and eventually earned a master's degree in library science at Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn, New York.

After working for a time at The Brooklyn Public Library in her native New York, she decided to follow another dream--living overseas. Diplomatic service was a logical choice. For over 25 years she was a Foreign Service Officer who specialized in press and cultural affairs, usually referred to as public diplomacy.

Her paintings have been exhibited overseas in cultural centers and galleries in Ivory Coast, Benin, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, and El Salvador. A participant in the Department of State's Art in Embassies Program, her paintings have adorned the walls of ambassadorial residences in Managua (Nicaragua), Belgrade (Serbia) and Quito (Ecuador). She has also exhibited at home in the U.S. at The Sun Gallery, The Parish Gallery of Georgetown, Ramee Art Gallery and Edison Place Gallery (Washington, DC); The Strathmore Mansion, Glenview Mansion, Rockville Regional Library (Maryland); and The Skylight Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. Johnson is a member of The Rockville Art League, District of Columbia Arts Center and Artomatic (Washington, DC).

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