Anna Johnson Announced as Executive Director of The Human Family
BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN
The Human Family, a nonprofit organization that promotes human rights through film and art, is proud to announce the appointment of Anna Johnson as its new Executive Director. Anna Johnson is a Two-Spirit artist and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain band of Chippewa Indians.
Johnson is an accomplished artist who seeks to bridge the gap between the world she lives in and the culture she came from. Her work often addresses social injustice, religion and spirituality, and other issues that Native Americans, women, and people everywhere face daily. Johnson’s artwork incorporates many different totem animals and traditional designs from her Chippewa culture, and she works with various media but concentrates on drawing and printmaking. She uses many techniques to create layers documenting her creative process, including watercolor, ink, and collage with natural items like birch bark and fabrics.
A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, Johnson received her BFA from North Dakota State University in 2010. She spends much of her free time in the Turtle Mountains in Belcourt, North Dakota, where her family resides, and draws inspiration from the area’s natural beauty for her art.
As Executive Director of The Human Family, Johnson will lead the organization in promoting human rights through film and art. The Human Family believes that engagement with difficult conversations through film and art cultivates learning and compassion, amplifies the voice of underrepresented artists, and promotes diversity. The organization encourages community change through empathy, understanding, and perspective-shifting. Johnson is committed to this mission and to bringing people of all backgrounds together to create a more inclusive society, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to share their stories.
“I am honored to be appointed as the Executive Director of The Human Family,” Johnson said. “I believe that art and film are powerful tools to unite people, and I am excited to work with the organization to promote human rights and create a more inclusive society for all.”
Prior to her appointment as Executive Director, in 2021 and 2022, Johnson served as the Executive Board Chair of The Human Family. In April 2023, Johnson was appointed to the City of Fargo Arts and Culture Commission. Johnson has also previously served for three years on the City of Fargo’s Native American Commission.
About The Human Family
The Human Family is a nonprofit organization that promotes human rights through film and art. The mission of The Human Family is to celebrate and amplify the courageous voices of filmmakers and artists bringing awareness to human rights, civil rights, or social justice issues. The Human Family believes that engagement with difficult conversations through film and art cultivates learning and compassion, amplifies the voice of underrepresented artists, and promotes diversity. The Human Family encourages community change through empathy, understanding, and perspective-shifting.
Founded in 2017, The Human Family has curated, managed, and facilitated numerous art-centric events, including the North Dakota Human Rights Film and Arts Festivals, the Fargo-Moorhead LGBT Film Festival, and the North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival. Over the past six years, programming has engaged over 9,000 artists and community members.
For more information, please visit their website at www.human-family.org.
