Whitney Johnson-Lessard

Whitney Johnson-Lessard is an Affiliate Instructor in Drawing at the Art and Design Department within the Slane College of Communications & Fine Arts at Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. She also teaches Art Appreciation at Illinois Central College and Painting and Drawing at the Peoria Art Guild, demonstrating a strong commitment to art education across multiple institutions.

Education:

• BFA in Studio Art: Painting, Illinois State University, 2017
• BS in Art Education, Illinois State University, 2017
• MFA in Art Theory and Practice, Northwestern University, 2022

Her artistic practice centers on environmental concerns, material transformation, and the relationship between humans and the more-than-human world. Working primarily in painting and drawing, her work expresses hope for a habitable future through ecological engagement and experimental material use. She has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions across central Illinois and has participated in artist residencies, including Project 1612 in Peoria. She is also affiliated with Lease Agreement, an artist-run curatorial project.

Whitney maintains an active studio practice and professional presence through her website: https://whitneyjohnson-lessard.com/.

Teaching Roles:

• Drawing, Bradley University
• Art Appreciation, Illinois Central College
• Painting and Drawing, Peoria Art Guild

Her work bridges pedagogy, studio practice, and community engagement, contributing meaningfully to regional and contemporary art discourse.