Portrait
Youn Ja Johnson-Blanchard

Multi-media artist living in New Mexico.

Youn Ja Johnson-Blanchard - Biography

Education:

Kwang Ju College of Education (1958-61) Elementary Education B.S. 1961
Hong Ick College of Art (1961-64) Art
New York School of Design (1965-70) Interior Design Diploma 1970
New York Institute of Technology (1970-72) Design B. F. A. 1972
University of Albuquerque (1972-75) Art B. A. 1975
University of New Mexico (1976-82) Art M.A. 1982
University of New Mexico (1982-85) Art M.F.A. 1985

Teaching Positions:

1987 (Spring) Instructor in Studio Art, Navajo Academy (Farmington, NM)
1988 (Fall) Co-Director, Seminar on Creative Imagination (UNM English Department)
1988 - 1990 Research Associate Professor of Philosophy in Aesthetics and Religious Studies University of New Mexico.
1989-90 Visiting Artist (teaching Training Workshops) at Cochiti, Jemez, Laguna, San Juan Pueblos (Program for fostering creativity and continuity of traditional culture under the joint auspices of New Mexico Arts Council and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center)
1990 (Spring) Co-Director, Seminar on Comparative Shamanism
(UNM Religious Studies Program)
1990 (Fall) Co-Director, Seminar on Art and Religion
(UNM Religious Studies Program)

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Visiting Lectureships:

1986, 1987 Universities in Seoul and Kwang Ju, Korea, and in Manchuria (People's Republic of China)
1988 New York Institute of Technology; Universities in Seoul and Kwang Ju, Korea
1989, 1990 Universities in Seoul and Kwang Ju, Korea
1991 Buddhist Temple in Kwang Ju, Korea
1992 Universities in Kwang Ju, Korea
1998 Weyrich Gallery "The Magical Healing Stories behind the creation of Artworks", Albuquerque, New Mexico
1986 - 2011 Ten Slide lectures at Kwang Ju Teachers University Kwang Ju, Korea

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Publications:

Books:

"Desert Womb; The Perfect Harmony of One's Outer and Inner Worlds Which Occurs Not Only Visually but Symbolically, Philosophically, and Spiritually" Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1985
" From Here To There" (Korean Text) Kwang Ju: Kum Ho Foundation, 1987
" Untitled" (book of collage, brush-stroke paintings and poetry) English Text Kwang Ju: Kum Ho Foundation, 1988
" Songs of the Spirits: Sacred People, Scared Places, Sacred Arts,
" Sacred Experiences" (Korean Text) Kwang Ju: Gyu Jang Khaak, 1991
" The Songs of the Calling Spirits"
(Spiritual growth traveling all over the world, especially at home in New Mexico USA and Kwang Ju Korea.)
Calling Spirits Publishing, Albuquerque, New Mexico 1994
" Letters to India"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 1996
" Lotus Child - Spiritual Journey Through Creation"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 2007
" The Sacred Land - Heavenly Lotus Lavender Reflections of Realizations"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 2008
" Mayan - Culture Through Visionary Artist"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 2009
"The Prayers - Artist as Shaman as Artist"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 2010
"The Home - Fragrance of Sweet Senses and the Root of Spirit"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 2011
"The Gatherings - The Beauty of Spirit and the Vigor of Native Americans"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 2011
"Youngsanjea - The Ceremony Coaxing the Spirts for World Peace"
Calling Spirits Publishing , Albuquerque, New Mexico 2011

Articles:

"Letters to India"
(series of 12 articles-Korean Text) in Korean Cultural Magazine (January to December, 1988)
"Comparative Shamanism"
(series of 12 articles-Korean Text) in Korean Cultural Magazine (January to December 1989)
"Finding Own Roots: China Mongolia Tibet"
(series of 12 articles-Korean Text) in Korean Cultural Magazine (January to December 1990)

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Exhibits:

1969 Group Show Sumi Society of America (New York) First Prize
1969 Invitational One-Woman Show Interchurch Center Gallery (New York)
1970 One-Woman Show Flushing Federal Savings (New York)
1977 Invitational Group "Contemporary Art & Craft Show" Portland Museum (Oregon)
1978 One-Woman Show (Portland, Oregon)
1979 Group Show Grand Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
1980 Juried Group Show Albuquerque Museum (Albuquerque, NM)
1982 Group Show ASA Gallery (University of New Mexico)
1983 Juried Show "Southwest Regional Art" (University of New Mexico Museum)
1983 Invitational One-Woman Show Korean Cultural Service Gallery (Los Angeles, California)
1983 Invitational One-Woman Show U.S.I.S. American Cultural Gallery (S, Korea)
1985 Invitational International Acclaimed Woman Artists Show "Artist As Shaman" Woman's Building
(Los Angeles, California)
1986 Invitational Show "Intellectual Primitivism" (University of Colorado)
1988 Invitational One-Woman Show "From Here To There" New York Institute of Technology
(Old Westbury, Long Island, New York)
1989 Invitational One-Woman Show "From Here To There" Albuquerque Academy Gallery
(different content from 1988 show of the same title)
1990 Group Show "Breath of Spiritual New Mexico" Korean Cultural Foundation Gallery (Los Angeles, California)
1990 Group Show "Artist As Shaman...Shaman As Artist" Kum Ho Cultural Foundation Galleries
(Seoul, Korea; Kwang Ju, Korea)
1992 Museum of Albuquerque purchase, "Tribute to Grandmother Earth"
1992 Group Show, "Shrines" Owens Dewey Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
1993 Fine Arts Museum - print collection, (University of New Mexico)
1993 Group Show, "Day of the Dead" Owens Dewey Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
1993 One-Woman Show Sculpture, Sung Ryun Sa Buddhist Temple (Okwa, S. Korea)
1994 Prayer Wall construction and Mandala (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1994 Blessing Ceremony at the "Sacred Circle" (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1994 "Healing Herbs" sculpture installation VA Hospital (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1995 Group Show, "Elemental Choices" The New Gallery (Santa Monica, California)
1996 "Tribute to Mother Earth" sculpture installation Yale Mall (University of New Mexico)
1997 "Seven Prayer Shields" sculpture installation (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1997 "Mandala Wall" installation (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1997 "Tribute to Mother Earth" sculpture installation private residence (Alameda, NM)
1997 "Sacred Place for Meditation" installation and open house (Albuquerque, NM)
1998 "The House as Art Form" installation (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1999 "Mandala as Art Form" One-Woman show Weyrich Gallery (Albuquerque, NM)
2002 "The Art as Prayer and Healing" One-Woman show Exhibit208 (Albuquerque, NM)
2003 "The One World Celebration" installation NM State Fairgrounds (Albuquerque, NM)
2005 Hong Ick College of Art group show (Los Angeles, CA)
2006 Hong Ick College of Art group show (Los Angeles, CA)
2006 Anawaka Foundation (Ribera, New Mexico)
2007 - 2011 Hong Ick College of Art group show (Los Angeles, CA)

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Selected Collections:

University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico
University of New Mexico Art Museum Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque City Museum Albuquerque, New Mexico
Rapid American New York, New York
Youn Shea University Seoul, Korea
Sung Rhyn Sa Buddhist temple, Korea
Kumho Foundation Kwang Ju, Korea
Dr. Pal Los Angeles, California
Dr Phillip Jason Memorial Sculpture Garden Bo Sung, Korea
Teachers University Kwang Ju, Korea
Dam Yang Bamboo Museum Dam Yang, Korea

Exhibits Curated:

1990 "Breath of Spiritual New Mexico" Korean Cultural Center, (Los Angeles, California)
1990 "Artist As Shaman...Shaman As Artist" Kum Ho Cultural Foundation Galleries (Seoul, Korea; Kwang Ju, Korea)
1995 Coordination and direction for Korean artist Professor Lee Sang Phill exhibition in (Albuquerque)
1997 Open house and Fashion show of natural fibers, by Korean artist Kim Yu Jhung, textile dye by Professor Lee Sang Phill (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Conferences Directed:

1989 Korean/Pueblo Indian Intercultural Exchange Museum of International Folk Art
(Santa Fe, New Mexico) and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1989 Intercultural Symposium on Traditional Healing Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
(Albuquerque, New Mexico)
1990 First International Symposium on Comparative Shamanism
(Seoul, Korea; Kwang Ju, Korea)

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