“Clouds are a place to let dreams reside”, says Johnny McKee. Recently, one of our Greatriarchs, Miss Joanna LeNoir, got a dream come true–a piece of art by Johnny McKee. The story touched us, and we think it will warm your heart too.

*Johnny McKee (left) with Miss Joanna (right) at Art Dish.*

“I met Miss Joanna when she came to my Art Dish event in January as a guest of Joanna Taft. We connected immediately during the question/answer part of the event when she responded to my work, in particular the concept of grief that I often invoke,” says Johnny.

Miss Joanna loved Johnny’s large scale cloud triptych, though at 12 feet tall, it was too big and expensive to go in her house. Johnny agreed to do a smaller scale painting similar to the large piece, so he went to her home to measure for the piece.

*Miss Joanna with the large inspiration piece*

“During that visit I learned that Miss Joanna had a daughter, Rita, who passed away several years earlier. We talked more about grief, and her job as a nurse, and I learned what a caring and wonderful person Miss Joanna is. I left her house excited to do this painting that we agreed would be done in memory of her daughter.”

Johnny completed the piece, but in this new age of Covid-19, he wasn’t sure when to deliver it.

“We eventually agreed on a delivery/installation date. Unbeknownst to me, that agreed upon date was the 12 year anniversary of Rita's passing, making the installation of the painting that much more poignant.”

I titled the painting ‘I,too, drift.’ To me it felt as if the clouds were a place to let dreams reside. And we dream of being with those precious to us, and I imagine, floating and drifting by their side.”

We love this piece and know Miss Joanna will enjoy it for years to come!

Are you interested in commissioning a painting as a gift or in memory of someone special? See our list of artists then contact our arts coordinator, Sarah Peacock, at speacock@harrisoncenter.org.

“I, too, Drift”