Frederick Johnson

Frederick Johnson is a community engagement specialist at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, FL, and a renowned artist, educator, and social justice advocate. Johnson has spent the last 45 years creating spaces where art and creative expression have been used to empower and give voice to less privileged communities and provide safe and equitable forums where compassionate and authentic stories can be shared, in an effort to transcend fear and division and create trust and transformation. Mentored by masters of the West African oral and healing traditions, Johnson brings ancient wisdom and practices into a contemporary setting, reexamining the healing power and importance of artistic expression and its aesthetic relevance.