The Johnson Collection in Spartanburg County
The Johnson Collection is located in Spartanburg County. Named for George and Susan “Susu” Phifer Johnson, the collection originated from the couple's shared interest in art. What began as a private pursuit eventually outgrew the Johnsons' home and offices. This growth led to the establishment of a dedicated space for the works.
The collection is housed in an exhibit space that is small for its size, consisting of two galleries. These galleries accommodate a variety of curatorial themes. The collection remains tucked into this compact footprint in downtown Spartanburg, near Morgan Square.
The Richardson Family Art Museum
Located at the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts on Memorial Dr, Spartanburg, SC, USA, the Richardson Family Art Museum functions as a dynamic resource for the local community. The museum operates in collaboration with the Wofford College Art History department, curating a selection of works to be displayed during the college's fall semester. This partnership provides a working laboratory for students and a platform for visiting exhibitions alongside the permanent collection.
The museum is open to the public with free admission. Visitors may attend on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. On Thursdays, the museum extends its hours, remaining open from 1 to 7 p.m.
Masterpieces of the Collection
The holdings include significant works of American portraiture and landscape. Joshua Johnson’s 1808 portrait of Hilmer Schumacher represents an early example of African American portraiture commissioned by a wealthy white patron. Similarly, William D. Washington’s The Burial of Latané, dated about 1864, provides a specific view of mid-nineteenth-century themes. These works are held alongside Thomas Satterwhite Noble’s 1872 painting, Forgiven.
Landscape and genre studies appear throughout the collection. Elliott Daingerfield’s 1893 work, Sunset Hour, is accompanied by George Charles Aid’s 1914 depiction, Winter in Fontainebleau Forest. Bror Anders Wikström’s 1904 Spanish Colonial Garden and John Martin Tracy’s Field Trials in North Carolina offer distinct perspectives on regional and formal environments. Other notable pieces include William De Leftwich Dodge’s 1928 The Clothesline.
