Nitashia Johnson
GRANTEE
Nitashia Johnson is a multimedia artist and educator hailing from Dallas, Texas. An alumna of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Texas Woman's University, and the Rhode Island School of Design, she serves as a digital media specialist in the university setting while pursuing her freelance career as a creative arts educator, photographer, videographer, and designer.
Johnson has a strong passion for using her creative talents to effect positive change. Her nonprofit organization, The Smart Project, provides an after-school program for teens and aspiring mentors in North Texas. She is also the creator of The Self Publication Series, a photographic book series challenging stereotypes surrounding the Black community. Johnson is independently working on this project, shedding light on community issues and planning to create a short documentary series following past participants.
In addition, she has undertaken The Beauty of South Dallas, documenting the rapid transformation of an historical neighborhood impacted by socio-economic shifts. Johnson's work has gained recognition and has been featured in publications like The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, and The New York Times.
Her freelance photography and videography have graced the pages of top publications and media outlets, including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, NBC, The Washington Post, and CNN
Her accomplishments include being one of the first women selected for the Sony Alpha Female Creator-in-Residence Program in 2019, receiving the Juanita J. Craft House Artist Residency Project in 2021, and participating in the Talley Dunn Gallery Equity in the Arts Fellowship.
She was also honored with the 2021 Artist Disruptor Award from The Center for Cultural Power. Her work has also been featured in the 2022 and 2023 Photography Annual issues of Communication Arts Magazine.
As an artist, Johnson is dedicated to continuous growth, exceptional leadership, thoughtful mentorship, boundary-pushing, and making a lasting impact on the world through her work.
