Nebraska born artist Thomas Berger Johnson was born in Omaha
in 1890 and spent his early years in Omaha and Harvard, Nebraska and Stanton, Iowa. Although in his youth he showed an interest and an ability in art, he did not begin formal training in this field until 1921 at the age of thirty-one.
He then studied painting, drawing, and art history for two years at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas, under Professor Birger Sandzen. Johnson's close association with Sandzen led to his use of the impressionistic style and the "impasto" painting technique which Sandzen favored. The impasto technique uses two separate colors of paint on the brush at the same time. From 1923-27 Johnson continued his art studies in Colorado Springs and Minneapolis, and he also returned to Bethany College for further studies. His ability in drawing and in creating block prints is recognized by both artists and laymen.
Prior to the study of art, Johnson had worked as a blacksmith and had taken a special course in welding. In addition to his painting, Johnson developed his metalworking techniques into crafted iron sculptures. Johnson's art has been shown in several places in Nebraska, including the State Office Building (1983), the NBC Bank (1984), and the State Museum of History (1984), all in Lincoln.
Johnson was employed at the University of Nebraska College of Agricultural Engineering, Laboratory Division, from 1930 to 1955. He then retired and moved from Lincoln to Seward, Nebraska where he died on January 20, 1968.