Ida A. Johnson

Johnson was born on January 13, 1850, in Nyack, New York, to a Quaker pastor.^[1] She began her art education at the Parker School in Brooklyn, where she met her long-term partner, Culbertson.^[1] She later studied at Arthur Wesley Dow’s Summer School of Art in Ipswich, Massachusetts.^[1]

While in New York, Johnson lectured on ceramics at Adelphi College in Garden City for nearly a decade and served as president of the National Ceramic Society for four years.^[1][2]

She and Culbertson founded a studio and salon at 193 St. James Place in Brooklyn. On April 2, 1898, Johnson exhibited the watercolor Songbirds of Our Land while Culbertson presented Twilight Park.^[3]

In 1906, Johnson and Culbertson relocated to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where they established their home and studio, Gray Gables.^[4] The space became a gathering place for artists and hosted art shows and meetings of the Carmel Art Association.^[5] The Carmel Art Association, founded in 1914, is the second-oldest continuously operating artist cooperative in the nation and the oldest west of the Mississippi."95 Years of Art: Celebrating an Association that Shaped Carmel"

Johnson was involved in local organizations, including the Dickens Club^[6] and the Carmel Boys' Club, where she taught classes.^[2] She also served as Chairwoman and Curator of the Museum of Yesteryear. ^[6]

Both Johnson and Culbertson were active members of the Carmel Library Association,^[6] which commenced operations on October 5, 1905.^[7] Johnson served as the library board president and as a librarian.^[8]

Keramic Studio magazine published several of Johnson's artworks, including California Wild Flowers, Matilija Poppy, and California Poppy,, in their 1912 edition.^[9]