George Johanson Obituary

George Johanson was a major and beloved Pacific Northwest artist. George Johanson, Jr. was born in Seattle, Washington in 1928. He moved to Portland in 1946 to attend the Museum Art School (now the Pacific Northwest College of Art) with the intention of becoming a commercial illustrator.

He decided to focus on fine art rather than commercial after a year of study at the Museum Art School, where he learned from artists such as William Givler, Louis Bunce, Mike Russo, and Jack McLarty.

Johanson was well-known among art enthusiasts for his mastery of both painting and printmaking, as well as for a few recurring themes in many of his works, such as long-taut leaping cats or volcanoes erupting in the background.

To his friends and students, he was also known for his sly wit and enjoyment of playing the piano.

George Johanson whose career spanned more than 70 years, died from heart failure on Friday night, October 14, 2022. He was 94.