We recently connected with Tenesha Carter Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Tenesha, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

As a Kansas City native, I was exposed fairly early to local museums and creative spaces such asThe Kemper Museum, Nelson Atkins, and a plethora of galleries across the KC metro. However, it was summer 2019, between my junior and senior year of high school, that the American Daughters summer program would take my fellow cohort colleagues and I to Nelson Atkins to see the 30 Americans traveling exhibition, showcasing a range of Black artists reflective of their essence and being as African Americans through art. It was here that i’d come across Kehinde Wiley’s Sleep made in 2008. Amongst the amazing selection of artworks that, for the first time I could truly conceptually grasp, this piece in particular moved me to tears. I felt a range of emotions overtake me at once – relief, gratitude, resonance, and joy. To see someone who looked like me on such a large scale was breathtaking and a moment in conversation with art that i’d never forget. It was in the same moment that everything somehow clicked. I finally felt like I found a language through visual art that I spoke and that spoke back to me, declaring in unison, “I SEE you.” Every since this moment, i’ve committed myself to sharing the power that art provides through curation, as it once and forever provided for me, giving one the ability to feel and to know.

Tenesha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up as the youngest of 4 siblings who all studied very vast things such as psychology and mechanical engineering. While all first-generation college students, it was actually my parents who exposed to me to the art world from a very early age. My father, a freelance photographer, and mother, a home-economics expert, cultivated a strong sense of observation that I believe is what drives my creative endeavors to this day. I always felt that my parents’ empathy and resonance to the world around them is what helped me to understand that we, as humans, are creations creating. It wasn’t until my entry into Spelman College in 2020 that I began exploring the arts as a professional career. Being an art history scholar at such a distinctive and empowering institution gave me the foundation and backing of wisdom that served as a launchpad for my professional success. The curriculum, culture, and community at Spelman were all essential in understanding who I was and the impact I wanted to make when it was time to expand beyond the classroom. I credit The Atlanta University Center Art History & Curatorial Studies Collective for its unique preparation to enter the field. From hands-on exhibition planning, generative classroom discussions, global field studies, and more, I believe that programs like this are essential for students and aspiring professionals to know that are well equipped to do powerful and innovative work. As a curator and art historian, i’ve pinpointed a space where I feel most connected to those I learn about, learn from, and work alongside while also reminiscing on the moments of apprenticeship alongside my mother and father. That ever-present feeling of nostalgia and reflection is how i’ve learned that the true power of art is in its ability to let one connect with oneself.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe it’s the community i’m surrounded with and people impacted along the way of the journey that is the greatest reward. A key part of my career is dedicated and committed to honoring others and even myself that have needed art when as a resolve with the world around us. We all know that the world is not always the kindest to us but I strongly feel that creatives of all kinds help to add colorful perspectives to the canvas and tapestry of life. I additionally commend artists for their bravery to share their voice through their chosen medium to speak truth and light. Over the time that i’ve served in galleries, museums, and creative spaces, I am in constant awe of the community that rallies together to bring forth and move forward a hopeful and brighter future. It’s ultimately a gift to see the twinkle of one’s eyes when they encounter a work that truly speaks to them and makes them feel seen.

How did you build your audience on social media?

First, i’d like to encourage those who are looking to build their brand on social media by saying that among every field and practice, it is never “too saturated” for a YOU. When starting to build my presence on social platforms, I was initially hesitant and reluctant to share my passions with others because of public receptivity and it was similar to working out your muscles that I learned the confidence of authentic expression and branding. Although a simple alias to my full name, my nickname Nesh sprouted from that journey of grasping individuality and uniqueness found in sharing with the world it’s beauty from my eyes. I sought out social media to function as a repository to my reflections and respects to creative practice starting out with reposting artwork or artists that I admired. It later grew into exhibition reviews of my favorite shows, exhibition catalog analyses, and event recaps. I want others to feel like they are embraced into and by these diffusions of knowledge and experiences I share, hoping that they can serve as launchpads for viewers to consider their own interests. In this way, I hope to be a content “conduit,” rather than a creator, to inspire one’s own creative thinking through generative social platforms.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teneshaa_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/me?trk=p_mwlite_feed-secondary_nav
• Other: https://linktr.ee/nesh_niche?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaa_Tr-271Wzzq3wAHDts-J5rooCh6RIQEB-_NgX0ck5PPB1r8QnOYBHvzc_aem_6Or3N9Fmw2hRQc6qWBUzJw

Image Credits

Featured Photo: Buck Lewis/Vassar College

1. Photo from Tenesha Carter Johnson
2. Jose Cotto/Prospect New Orleans
3. Buck Lewis/Vassar College
4. Vassar College
5. Photo from Tenesha Carter Johnson
6. Photo from Tenesha Carter Johnson
7. Photo from Tenesha Carter Johnson