John Taft

Originally from western New York, John studied design and art at Rochester Institute of Technology, and then at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.  His work took him from Los Angeles to Minneapolis and then to New York City where he worked as a Designer and Art Director for a number of design groups and television networks.

Whenever he and his wife would leave “the city” for a weekend, the landscape would have a strong impact on him, reminding him of his upbringing, when, if not playing baseball, he would spend many a summer day working the fields for his father on the family tree nursery, working in “wind and rain and weather”.  Living in New York City provided opportunities for a different kind of culture, that of great art in museums and galleries.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art became a favorite, as did the Frick Museum and MoMa.  Retrospectives on Corot, Monet, Lucian Freud, and exhibits featuring the Hudson River School Painters, Van Gogh, Odd Nerdrum, and George Inness caused John to grow in his appreciation of great art.  When he became a "hands off" Design Director in 2001, he decided to get "hands on" and began painting when he could find time between work and a growing family. 

9/11 happened, and soon John was meeting weekly just blocks from ground zero, with former National Council of the Arts member, Mako Fujimura, who gathered artists of various disciplines together for coffee and bagels, to engage in discussions of art, faith and purpose.   Englishman, Nigel Goodwin, was a guest at the group and became a catalyst for John to pursue this call in the arts, moving his family to Colorado to begin painting in earnest in 2004.

His work has since received a number of awards and honors, including having his piece, "Thunder Run" added in 2022 to the permanent collection of the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, TX. Additionally, "Worthy Ascent" was awarded the Gold award at the 2021 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit.  In 2018 at the OPA's National show, he piece received the "Best Signature Award of Excellence".  Other awards and honors include the Fine Art Connoisseur’s Award of Excellence at the National Western Club Show in Denver, two additional "Top Landscape Awards of Excellence" from the Oil Painters of America National Exhibit, plus exhibiting at the Coors Western Art show and the American Masters at the Salmagundi Club in New York City.  John is a signature member of the Oil Painters of American and also a signature member of the Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA).