Acclaimed Portrait Artist Brendan Johnston Steps Into Artist-in-Residence Role at Southampton Arts Center

Brendan Johnston is Southampton Arts Center’s  (SAC) new artist-in-residence on March 7th and April 9th from 12pm – 5pm. A newly appointed board member at SAC, Johnston studied Art History at McGill University before training in drawing, painting, and sculpture at Grand Central Atelier, where he graduated in 2012. Devoted to representational painting and sculpture, with a focus on portraiture, he was featured in the BP Portrait Award in 2019, exhibiting his painting Arcus at the National Portrait Gallery, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and the Ulster Museum. 

Acclaimed for his stone and terra cotta sculpture, he won First Prize from the Society of Portrait Sculptors in 2022 and First Place in the National Sculpture Society Awards Exhibition in 2025. His work has also been shown before at the SAC and the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM). In addition to his studio practice, Johnston studied landscape painting with the Hudson River Fellowship in 2011 and has painted extensively throughout Europe and the United States, exhibiting his plein air and studio landscapes in Provincetown, Boston, New York, and Southampton.

Johnston’s works on display will include “Wooldon Manor”, “Road D, Southampton”, “Hay Bales, Halsey Neck Lane”,” Dunes at Road F, Southampton”, and “Dune Pass Study. 

Johnston also explained his involvement at Southampton Arts Center, “Through the years I’ve loved attending art and cultural events at the SAC. I joined the board because I believe vibrant arts institutions are essential to the character of a community. SAC brings people together through exhibitions, performances, films, and education. I hope to help strengthen and expand the SAC’s impact so that Southampton continues to be a place where creativity and culture can thrive.” 

This summer, Johnston will also teach his own En Plein Air workshop at SAC on July 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th from 9:30am – 12:30pm. This class is designed for artists of all levels who want to deepen their connection to nature and develop their ability to paint outdoors.

For more info, visit Southamptonartscenter.org