“Teaching Art” with Harvey Johnson

2016

Johnson inspired many students through his art and teaching.

Harvey Johnson was a student at Texas Southern University in the 1960s and became a TSU art professor for more than 30 years. He taught painting and printmaking and mentored many students, including Robert Pruitt and Delita Martin.

In this interview from Texas Christian University’s “Civil Rights in Black & Brown Oral History Project,” Johnson describes his return to the University, students’ varied artistic approaches, and the function of abstraction in self-expression.