Cherlyn M. Johnson was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She grew up with 6 siblings in South Carolina, Maryland and Downers Grove, IL where she attended High School and earned a National Scholastic Art Scholarship Award. In 1983 she moved to Denver, attended University of Denver, graduated with a BFA in design and interned at William Matthews & Company.
After graduation Cherlyn launched her career at Communication Arts, Inc. in Boulder, CO. For most of her professional design career she worked for Club Sports International/Wellbridge. As National Creative Director she traveled to over 42 athletic clubs and spas, creating a wide array of products and marketing materials. In 2003, she went on to the next phase of her career as a professional artist. Currently, Cherlyn is painting full-time, is a member of The Art Students League of Denver and has studied with local artists, Molly Davis and Chuck Ceraso.
When Cherlyn is not painting she pursues her passion for digital storytelling and volunteers her time on non-profit projects. She lives in Denver with her husband, Dr. Lonnie Johnson. They enjoy travel, road trips and hiking with their Jack Russell Terriers, Caley and Bandit.
education & scholarships
university of denver, bfa, denver, co
dixie state college, st. george, ut
arizona state university, tempe, az
art scholarship award, university of denver
art scholarship award, dixie state college, utah
national scholastic art portfolio scholarship
awards
Art Directors Club of Denver, Best of Show, Gold Award
Art Directors Club of Denver, 2 Silver Awards
Outstanding Drawings of the Year, Dixie State College
National Hallmark Award, Scholastic Art Contest
Illinois Bell Bicentennial Art Winner, National Tour
gallery & juried exhibitions
2011 Spring, The Great Frame Up, Group Show, Lafayette, CO
2011 Winter, Community Church of Denver, Charity Event, Denver, CO
2010 Fall, Haystack Golf Course, Group Show, Boulder, CO
2010 Spring, The Great Frame Up, Group Show, Lafayette, CO
2009 Fall, Visual Images Gallery, Group Show, Denver, CO
2004 Summer, Yellow Door Gallery, The Ariel Series, Denver, CO
2004 Summer, DIA, !00 Years of Flight, Select Group Show, Aurora, CO
2004 Chez Artist, Solo Show, Flower Series, Denver, CO
2002 Funky Buddha, Solo Show, Flower Series, Denver, CO
1994 Studio Open House, Solo Show, Flower Series, Denver, CO
1982 St. George Arts Festival, Pastel Portraits, St. George, UT
1981 Art in the Park, Pastel Portraits, St. George, UT
1981 Ancestor Square Art Exhibit, Drawings & Paintings, St. George, UT
1977 National Scholastic Art Exhibit, 2 Drawings, New York, NY
design work experience
2007 - Current, Full-time Painter & Multi-media Artist
2007 - 2011, Center for Digital Story Telling, Co-instructor, Volunteer
2003 - 2007, Realtor, Metro Brokers, Colorado Homes
2000 - 2003, Club Sports International/Wellbridge, Creative Director
1989 - 1999, Design Solutions, President/Designer, Design Agency
1988 Dot Systems, Freelance Design & Production Artist
1987 Communication Arts in Boulder, Freelance Design & Illustration
1986 Summer Internship, William Matthew's & Company
other interests
Digital Story Telling, Photography, Film, Music, Writing, Hiking, Road Trips and dogs
