Dorothy Johnson "Mother Art", long time arts patron, advocate, educator and loving mother and grandmother passed away on January 3, 2012 due to heart complications. Johnson was 89 years old. Johnson impacted education through the arts locally and at the state level with her long standing tenure as Volusia County Schools first Art Supervisor as well as in her early role as the first Director for the DeLand Children's Museum now the Museum of Florida Art. Dorothy is fondly called "Mother Art" by her teachers and artists she worked with in school across the county. As Art Supervisor in Volusia Schools she developed a long standing Artist in Residency program (1974-1988) a nationally model funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and Volusia Schools. In many ways this program shaped the broader cultural community and promoted Volusia's artists. In this program, Johnson provided a catalyst for artists to work with teachers, students and the community to integrate the arts into the fabric of education in Volusia. She created the first county wide art education called Volusia Students Create celebrating student excellence in the visual arts now an annual point of pride for the school district. Dorothy Johnson resided the majority of her life in DeLand and was active in fundraising efforts for the arts. She served as 2004 Queen of the Krewe of Amalee, a women's charitable social clubs supporting the arts and community programs. In her career, she was involved in state arts advancements serving on the State of Florida's first cultural planning team, the Florida Arts Leadership Congress creating the State's inaugural cultural plan. She has served as President of the Florida Alliance for Arts Education and the Florida Art Education Association and as the Florida representative to the American Craft Council. The Museum of Florida Art named a gallery in her honor in 2007 and the Florida Museum for Women Artists also named a gallery for her in 2010. Johnson was the 2011 recipient for the Tippen Davidson Award for the Arts for her outstanding achievements in advancing the arts and arts education in Volusia County. Dorothy Johnson was the loving wife of Everette W. Johnson for 53 years who passed in 2000. Dorothy was born in Racine, Wisconsin on March 2, 1922 to parents Lillian and Martin Peterson and grew up with her two sisters, Millie and Georgia. She is survived by her son, Bill Johnson and his wife, Mary of Mt. Dora, Florida and her grandchildren Brian (and fiancé Mariel Colon-Paris) of Orlando; Kevin (and wife Diana) of Gainesville, Fl, as well as her daughter, Anne and husband Robert Jarmuz of Pleasanton, CA and her grandchildren, Craig and wife Anne, currently living in Dubai, UAE; Kyle Jarmuz and Kurt Jarmuz of Pleasanton as well as her friend and companion, Cholly Capps. The funeral will be held Saturday, January 7, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church in DeLand at 2:00 pm with a reception immediately following at the Museum of Florida Art. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Museum of Florida Art's children's program and the Stetson Children's Choir. You may share your memories with the family at www.lankfordfuneralhome.com. Lankford Funeral Home in DeLand is in charge of arrangements.