“AT THE EDGE OF NIGHT”: The late J. Seward Johnson II’s Midnight Snack Art trays will be exhibited along alongside his daughter India Blake Johnson’s photography in “The Bond of Inspiration,” on view in the Silva Gallery of Art on the campus of The Pennington School January 17 through March 30. An opening reception is on February 9 from 6 to 8 p.m.

“The Bond of Inspiration,” an exhibition featuring J. Seward Johnson II’s Midnight Snack Art trays, alongside his daughter India Blake Johnson’s photography, will be presented in the Silva Gallery of Art on the campus of The Pennington School January 17 through March 30.

A reception, open to the public, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 9 (snow date February 10).

In 2020, the world lost one of its most beloved and well-known artists, J. Seward Johnson II. A resident of Hopewell Valley and the son of Robert Wood Johnson, co-founder of Johnson & Johnson, Johnson was an artist who worked in many artistic disciplines and was regarded as an internationally renowned sculptor. He was a mentor to many local artists and the founder of Grounds For Sculpture and The Seward Johnson Atelier (TSJA) in Hamilton.

“NANTUCKET MOOR SUNSET”: India Blake Johnson’s photography will be exhibited alongside her father J. Seward Johnson II’s Midnight Snack Art trays in “The Bond of Inspiration,” on view January 17 through March 30 in the Silva Gallery of Art on the campus of The Pennington School.

To celebrate the life of J. Seward Johnson II, The Pennington School will host this inaugural event of a year-long celebration of programs and activities throughout 2023 co-sponsored by The Seward Johnson Atelier and the Hopewell Valley Arts Council.

Prior to gaining recognition as a sculptor, Johnson was a painter who worked primarily on canvas with acrylics. As his career as a sculptor flourished, his painting projects subsided except for one unique format: painted trays. Johnson collected trays from antique shows to use as canvases for his homey, intimate scenes. The subjects are places of the heart and very personal.

In 2017, Johnson’s passion for painting trays accelerated. Following an exhibition with his daughter in Rome, Johnson was so
inspired by her work that he feverishly began to paint, exploring the inspiration of her lens and reimagining her photographs as a continuation of his Midnight Snack Art. At that time, Johnson expressed a deep desire to see his works exhibited together again with those of India Johnson, highlighting the bond between father and daughter as artists.

The Pennington School is located at 112 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington. Besides the opening, the exhibit will be open to the public by appointment Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on January 17. For appointments, call (609) 737-4133 or email silvagallery@pennington.org.