STATEMENT

My current creative work explores using algorithmic processes to create compositions from visual artifacts of my experiences. In my cross-disciplinary design work, I have collaborated with researchers leveraging mobile and extended reality (XR) technologies to immerse audiences in historic spaces as well as visualize information at different scales. One unifying thread running through my practice is my particular interest in crafting experiences to visualize the unseen, to make the pieces of information and stories embedded in surrounding environments feel present.

BIO

Edward S. Johnston studied at MICA and the University of Notre Dame before receiving an MFA from the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan, where he shaped his creative practice involving algorithmic art and XR design. His creative work has been exhibited internationally, including SIGGRAPH, the Lumen Prize in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom, XXI International Image Festival in Manizales, Columbia, Video Art Miden in Kalamata, Greece, the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, and many other galleries and venues across the US. His work has been included in Olga Ast’s book Infinite Instances: Studies and Images of Time as well as several international publications and conference proceedings. He is the recipient of multiple grants and awards, including YAP Grants from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, partly funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Jean Paul Slusser Fellowships and more. His collaborative Room of Echoes project at Liberty Hall Museum was recognized as a Fast Company Innovation by Design Award Honoree. The Liberty Hall 360 VR film experience which he co-directed was recognized with a NY Emmy Nomination and Viddy Platinum Award. He has been an invited TEDx speaker and presented at multiple universities and conferences, including the International Symposium on Electronic Art. Johnston is currently an Associate Professor in the Michael Graves College at Kean University.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS + SCREENINGS

2024 - CVPR AI Art Gallery Exhibition. CVPR 2024, IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition 2024, Seattle, WA and online. Upcoming, June 2024.

2024 - D-ART - International Symposium Digital Art and Gallery. IV2024, International Conference Information Visualisation, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal and online. Upcoming, July 2024.

2023 - MODE 2023 Summit. Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA. 

2022 - Cine y digital. XXI International Image Festival, Rogelio Salmona Cultural Center, Manizales, Columbia. 

2020 - UCDA Design Education Summit. Online. 

2017 - Codes & Modes: ReFraming Reality, Virtuality and Nonfiction Media Symposium. Hunter College, New York, NY. 

2014 - TEDxNAVESINK Salon. Stephen Crane House, Asbury Park, NJ. 

2013 - iDEAS_2013. Laguna College of Art and Design, Laguna Beach, CA.

2013 - The Lumen Prize Exhibition. Digital artwork exhibited internationally at the following locations as part of the selected Lumen Prize 50 Shortlist:

  • FQ Projects, Shanghai, China.

  • Gallery 27, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom.

  • Robert’s Books, Riga, Latvia.

  • The Space, Hong Kong.

  • Treberfydd House, Llangasty, Wales, United Kingdom.

2012 - Environments: Natural-Constructed, ACM SIGGRAPH. Juried by DAC Board Members, Online. 

2010 - DigitalArt.LA 2010. Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA. 

2010 - FAÇADE 2010. East Shard at Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia.

2010 - The Matter of Time. Philoctetes Center for the Multidisciplinary Study of the Imagination, New York, NY. 

2010 - Interpretations of Time. Marlboro Gallery, Largo, MD.

2009 - Urban Revolutions. Video Arts Festival Miden, Kalamata, Greece. 

2009 - ArcheTime. The Tank Space for Performing & Visual Arts, New York, NY.

2009 - Best of Artomatic. Fraser Gallery. Bethesda, MD.

2009 - Technology Configured. Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI. 

2008 - Krasl Art Center Sculpture Biennial. St. Joseph, MI. 

2008 - Placemark. Work Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI. 

2008 - MFA Thesis Exhibition. The James and Anne Duderstadt Center Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI. 

2007 - Substance: Diverse Practices from the Periphery. Emmanuel Gallery, Denver, CO. 

2007 - PLAY Gallery. Michigan Channel, 10/5/2007.  

2006 - In Circulation. Cothenius Gallery, Berlin, Germany.

2006 - Endless Forms: Engaging Evolution. Work Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI.  

2006 - Big Ten Graduate Art Exhibition. Big Ten Conference Gallery, Park Ridge, IL.

2006 - Summer Faculty Exhibition. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Washington, D.C. 

2006 - Besucherkunst. Robbins Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI. 

SELECTED AWARDS, GRANTS + HONORS

2022 - Fast Company Innovation by Design Award Honoree, Learning Category. Fast Company, New York, NY. Jury Members Included: 

  • Bob Weis, Global Imagineering Ambassador, Walt Disney Imagineering; 

  • Nathan Allen, Head of Global Sustainability Programs, Google; 

  • Emem Offong, UX Design Lead, J.P.Morgan Chase; 

  • Whitney Rutter, CEO, Local Projects; 

  • Yuri Suzuki, partner, Pentagram

2020 - New York Emmy Nominee, Nostalgia Program Category. The 63rd New York Emmy Award Nominations, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, New York Chapter, New York, NY. 

2020 - Viddy Platinum Award Winner, Video Production, Digital Creation, 64. Virtual Reality. Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals, Dallas, TX. 

2020 - Faculty Research Mentor of the Year Award. Kean University, Union, NJ. 

2019 - MarCom Platinum Award Winner, Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality Category. Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals, Dallas, TX. 

2018 - Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Creative Work. Kean University, Union, NJ. 

2018 – MakeHISTORY@Kean: William Livingston’s World. National Endowment for the Humanities HSI Grant, Role: Project Staff.

2015 – 2016 - Invited Institute Scholar Participant. NEH Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities Summer Institute: Advanced Challenges in Theory and Practice in 3D Modeling of Cultural Heritage Sites, UCLA (2016); UMass Amherst (2015), Los Angeles, CA and Amherst, MA. 

2014 - TEDx Invited Speaker. TEDxNAVESINK, Red Bank, NJ. 

2013 - Editor’s Choice Award. World Maker Faire NYC, New York, NY. 

2011 - Grant-in-Aid for Creativity. Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ. 

2010 - Trailblazer Grant. PGCC, Largo, MD. 

2009 - YAP Grant and Supplemental Grant. D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, partly funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Washington, D.C. 

2008 - Research Grant. Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 

2008 - Honorarium. Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, MI. 

2007 - Honorarium. Big Ten Conference, Park Ridge, IL.  

2007 - Harold and Vivian Shapiro/John Malik Award. Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

2005 – 2008 - Jean Paul Slusser Fellowships. The Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design (awarded three times), Ann Arbor, MI. 

2004 - Partial Scholarship. MICA, Baltimore, MD. 

1998 - Award for Excellence. D.C. Congressional Art Competition, Washington, D.C. 

Full CV Available Upon Request