That's Worth Celebrating

In 1963, J. Seward Johnson Sr. created The Atlantic Foundation and six other charitable foundations for his children. He hoped they would learn that the possession of wealth involves the obligation to give to charitable purposes and develop interests of their own in new charitable endeavors.

These foundations formed a bedrock on which stands the family’s legacy of philanthropy, enabling the Johnsons to create, innovate, and make the world a better place. While the foundations have pursued different aims over the decades, they share common themes: innovation, creativity, community, pushing boundaries, and helping people reach their full potential.

The Johnson family’s tradition of charitable giving dates to the 19th Century. In 1887, during its first year as a business, Johnson & Johnson began giving back to the community by donating mustard and porous plaster for distribution to the underserved citizens of New Brunswick, NJ. Such goodwill has continued through the generations. Committed to ecology, cancer research, and the exploration of the sea, J. Seward Johnson Sr. built the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution with a team of renowned scientists whose discoveries were shared around the world.

Spurred to strengthen communities through art, his son, J. Seward Johnson Jr. (known as Seward Johnson), built an international community of artists with the Johnson Atelier, one of the world’s foremost art foundries. In 1980, Seward became president of the International Sculpture Center board and brought his experience to bear organizing its business operations. He went on to create Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, a wondrous place for interdisciplinary engagement with art, nature, music, and dance. His children, India Blake Johnson and John S. Johnson, co-founded the Almanack Arts Colony on Nantucket Island. The Colony celebrates excellence in the arts by providing a quiet place for artists and arts organizations to develop new work in a reflective and collaborative atmosphere. John S. Johnson also founded Eyebeam - an innovative arts organization that focuses on ideas of openness, invention, and justice - and The Harmony Institute, which leverages the power of media to benefit society. India Blake Johnson mainly devotes herself to photography and poetry, and has authored two books.