About the Artist: Jonathan Green

March 2026 Issue
About the Cover Artist — Jonathan Green
by Lindsay Gifford

Jonathan Green, a Gardens Corner, SC, native, is a nationally acclaimed and awarded professional artist, who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1982. “I never thought of life without art. I’ve done art all of my life and had tremendous support from the women of my family—my grandmother, my mother, aunts. I’ve always had the ability to do art within my family because it was looked upon as a special omen, if you will, the fact that someone could create something just based on looking at it. There was a tremendous sense of pride, but not from the prospective of Jonathan Green, the artist, but from the perspective of Jonathan Green having the ability and God-given talent to do these things,” said Jonathan.

His 46-year track record of creating art and extensive inclusions in museum collections and exhibitions throughout many countries has led to him being considered by numerous art critics and reviewers as one of our nation’s most outstanding American artists. He is consistently recognized as a visual master for capturing the positive aspects of African diasporic art, culture, history and traditions through the lens of Lowcountry sea island traditions. “I paint about people from my past. It’s important to me, in terms of an artist of African American descent and culture, to paint who I am and the people I grew up around. My art tells the stories of my culture and gives a sense of history… these people are connected to me,” Jonathan explained.

Jonathan’s social interests, cultural commitments and exhibitions have brought him international recognition throughout his travels. His art can be found in collections in North America, Europe, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Japan. It is his mastery of color and skillful use of the human figure in both rural and urban environments, which allows him to preserve and share with the viewer a deep sense of community and how the life challenges of work, love and belonging are met. However, no matter where he travels, he always considers the Lowcountry his home. Currently he resides and paints in his studio located in downtown Charleston.

When asked about his inspiration for this month’s cover, Sea Swing, and his extensive collections of work, Jonathan said, “To me, visual art is a language that mirrors my thoughts about my culture, heritage, customs, and mores. It reflects my sense of time, seasons, family, community, faith, landscapes, values, and love of nature. I generally paint in a representational manner. This is the way I convey my thoughts, especially my deep respect for the dignity of others and their relationship to the environment as they pursue the tasks of everyday life.”

Opening soon, the Lowcountry is excited to welcome The Jonathan Green Maritime Cultural Center at the University of South Carolina Beaufort—a public, university-hosted museum dedicated to African-descended maritime art, history, and culture! The Center advances the field of African descended maritime history through collections-based research, exhibitions, public humanities programming, lifelong learning initiatives and a research library holding the largest African maritime-related collections of books, artifacts, and collectible memorabilia. Positioned at the intersection of scholarship, community engagement, and heritage preservation, the Center will interpret maritime lifeways shaped by water, labor, environmental knowledge, creativity, and global exchange.

To delve more into the world of Jonathan Green art, visit www.jonathangreenstudios.com, jgmcc.org, and www.jonathangreenposters.com. For more information or to make a gallery purchase, please contact Studio Manager Cam Hall directly 843-606-0125, contact the studio 843-410-1383 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..