Kristina Johnson (KJ) is an artist and curator from Minnesota. She earned a BFA in Studio Fine Art from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2017, with an emphasis in Drawing and Painting. In 2019, KJ took over as director of arts platform Waiting Room, where she curated exhibitions exploring critical questions about the relationship of art to abstraction, the environment, social concerns, political issues and theories of identity, individuation, and subjectivation.
Johnson operated Waiting Room out of the basement of her home in Minneapolis from 2020 to 2024, skillfully balancing her own art practice with her passion for collaborating directly with artists and curators. During this time, she frequently delivered guest lectures at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, University of Minnesota, and various academic programs across the Midwest. KJ’s curatorial work is featured in Artforum’s Critics’ Picks; as well as personally featured in local Twin Cities publications such as City Pages, MNDaily, and Star Tribune. She is a recipient of the 2023 Visual Arts Fund awarded by Midway Contemporary Art with generous support from The Andy Warhol Foundation.
In the spring of 2024, a unique opportunity prompted her move to the North Shore of Massachusetts, where she’s embarking on a full-time career in the culinary industry. KJ divides her time between her kitchen, garden, and art studio, continually pursuing her diverse passions.
Johnson operated Waiting Room out of the basement of her home in Minneapolis from 2020 to 2024, skillfully balancing her own art practice with her passion for collaborating directly with artists and curators. During this time, she frequently delivered guest lectures at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, University of Minnesota, and various academic programs across the Midwest. KJ’s curatorial work is featured in Artforum’s Critics’ Picks; as well as personally featured in local Twin Cities publications such as City Pages, MNDaily, and Star Tribune. She is a recipient of the 2023 Visual Arts Fund awarded by Midway Contemporary Art with generous support from The Andy Warhol Foundation.
In the spring of 2024, a unique opportunity prompted her move to the North Shore of Massachusetts, where she’s embarking on a full-time career in the culinary industry. KJ divides her time between her kitchen, garden, and art studio, continually pursuing her diverse passions.