In celebration of MoAD’s 20th Anniversary, we are thrilled to present Love + Basketball: My Freedom Gotta Rim On It, a unique and inspiring exhibition that intertwines the worlds of art and sports. Launching during the electrifying NBA All-Star Weekend and Black History Month, this vibrant exhibition is a tribute to the rich tapestry of the African Diaspora and its profound impact on both artistic expression and athletic excellence.

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Curated by Key Jo Lee, Chief of Curatorial Affairs and Public Programs, Love + Basketball: My Freedom Gotta Rim On It, will explore the intersection of sports and culture, highlighting themes of heritage, achievement, empowerment, and community awareness. Works on view will be selected from an open call to global contemporary Black artists, celebrating a sport that has profoundly influenced contemporary Black art and culture.

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Purchase tickets here.

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Born in London, England, and raised in Cheyenne, WY, Ann Johnson is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University in Texas (where she now teaches) and received a BS in Home Economics. She has also received an MA in Humanities from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, as well as an MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, with a concentration in printmaking. She was awarded Art Teacher of the Year in the School of Architecture five times. In 2011, she received the distinguished President’s Faculty of the Year Award.

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Primarily an interdisciplinary artist, Johnson’s passion for exploring issues, particularly in the Black community, has led her to create a series of works that are evocative and engaging, such as The Hoop Dreamin Collection, a series of decorative basketball goals that explore the social issue of a hoop dream.

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The series, It Is the Not Knowing That Burns My Soul, investigates exploratory mixed media works that examine the “Black Indian.” Her series Converse: Real Talk has been exhibited at Women and Their Work in Austin, TX; Deborah Colton Gallery in Houston, TX; the Kansas City Art Institute; and the Community Art Center in Syracuse, NY, and was a part of the inaugural Sculpt Texas exhibition series.

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In 2024, she was an Artadia Finalist. Johnson has been an invited resident at Tougaloo Art Colony in Jackson, MS; Project Row Houses in Houston, TX; the Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, CA; the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND; and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. She was the resident guest artist at the Kansas City Art Institute in 2023.

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Johnson was a Contemporary Arts Houston CAMLAB 2023 Artist in Residence in collaboration with the Freedmen's Town Conservancy. She was a prize winner in Houston’s The Big Show in 2004 and was the Mixed Media winner in the Carroll Harris Simms National Black Art Competition in 2007. Johnson was included in the Texas Biennial in 2013 and 2021. She has received grants and fellowships from Texas Vignette, Dallas, TX; the Priscilla Art Fund, Dallas, TX; a Mellon Grant from Prairie View A&M University; and the BAND BIPOC Artist Network Fund.

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She was acknowledged as an “Artist to Watch” in the International Review of African American Art and is a member of the Bearden 100 (honoring artist Romare Bearden). She is a member of the ROUX Collective and is a co-founder of the organizations PrintMatters and PrintHouston. Johnson has written articles for Uppercase and School Arts magazines and has written and published several exhibition catalogs.

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In 2023, Johnson was listed as one of the most transformative artists of the year by Black Art in America. Johnson earned the name "Sole Sister" because she paints portraits with her feet. Ann "Sole Sister" Johnson aspires to leave a legacy of challenging and thought-provoking work that will entice viewers and inspire younger artists.

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Johnson is represented by Hooks-Epstein Gallery in Houston, TX, and Spillman Blackwell Fine Art in New Orleans, LA.

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Join us as we honor 20 years of MoAD’s commitment to celebrating culture, amplifying diverse voices, and connecting communities through art and culture. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of the artistry and impact of basketball across the Diaspora!