Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for September 29, 2008 ALICE DUNN JOHNSTON

Johnston has 'seen and heard about everything' in Cairo's history

BY ADAM TESTA, THE SOUTHERN

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of profiles of women selected for honors at SIUC's Inspiring Women Gala. The event salutes women who have made significant, unique and lasting contributions in the community or workplace and also raises money for scholarships at the university.

CAIRO - Walking into the home of Alice Dunn Johnston feels like taking a step back in time.

From a grandfather clock that's been in the home since her husband's grandparents built it in 1913 to paintings of Cairo's past lining the way, everything in the house seems larger than life and radiates history.

The walls tell the story of Cairo, and it's a story Johnston knows well. She has called the city home since her birth in 1917, and she's "seen and heard about everything" including two world wars, the Great Depression and other changes of the past nine decades.

"It's been home to me my whole life," she said. "It's been something I've tried to preserve the history of."

While the paintings lining various rooms of her home look as if they were created by a professional, they actually originated with Johnston's own hands.

Though she took four years of art classes in high school, her passion for art truly began in 1975, when she took art classes offered through Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

In the years since, she has painted thousands of pictures, mostly focusing on the history of Cairo and how the city looked in the past. She has painted small-scale paintings, large murals and specialty projects, including bricks from the city's old high school that were given away at a reunion.

Govs. James Thompson and James Edgar also commissioned Johnston to paint projects for them during their tenures in the state's top executive office. She has a letter she received from Thompson on display in her dining room.

"He said, 'To the artist who would hang in the mansion.' I wondered if he meant me or the picture," she said with a laugh.

Johnston said she hopes to be able to pass down a majority of her collection to her grandchildren, but people always ask if they can have pieces of it, she said. Once people see the paintings, they remember how the city used to be and want to hold on to those memories, she added.

Through visits to area schools and other talks with students, Johnston tries to inspire young people to reach their full potential.

"I tell them not to give up," she said. "You can do whatever you want if you just keep trying."

adam.testa@thesouthern.com / 351-5031

Anyone can attend the Inspiring Women Gala, which is Oct. 18 in the SIUC Student Center Ballrooms and International Lounge.

Reservations must be made by Oct. 3. Tickets are $65 per person.

For more information, contact Jean Paratore at 453-1339 or paratore@siu.edu, or visit www.siuc.edu/inspiringwomen.