About

Dorothy Churchill-Johnson was born and raised in Massachusetts, and was a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1964. In her early career she lived and worked as an artist in Massachustees and Michigan, and then moved to Santa Barbara, in 1976, where she made her home and artist studio. 

As a community leader in the visual arts, Dorothy became a founding board member and president emeritus of Santa Barbara Studio Artists, a not-for-profit trade organization of professionals who maintain working studios in Santa Barbara. She was also an integral part of WE, a group of working women artists in the Santa Barbara area who collectively exhibit in gallery shows.

Dorothy’s work is known for mural-size contemporary realist oil paintings, which explores the synthesis of pattern & decoration; neo-pop; surrealism and abstraction. Her dedication to the environment is reflected in the majority of her work, and her daily walks along the beaches and in parks. She had an unwavering commitment to sustainability of the natural world. A plaque in her honor was presented by the Santa Barbara Beautiful, INC, and donated by friends and family, which was installed under a Queen Palm at the corner of Santa Barbara and Mission Streets, Santa Barbara. 

Her paintings have been collected by museums, such as the 2021 acquisition by the Butler Institute of American Painting. Her work enhances the walls of major corporations, five-star hotels and private collectors nationally and internationally. Some of Doroty’s most prized and award-winning paintings have been exhibited in many points around the globe, including but not limited to Los Angeles, New York, Miami, New Orleans, Mexico, Belgium, the Philippines, and Russia. 

Her work continues to be exhibited and sold through the Dorothy Churchill-Johnson Trust.