Wiley is a self-taught artist who has autism spectrum disorder. He graduated from Broughton High School in 2002 and started painting as a hobby approximately 2009.
Wiley has no formal art training, but started painting as a hobby approximately 2009. He enjoys painting acrylic on canvas, abstract style, but also likes painting on recycled materials and small wooden crafts. He has participated multiple times in the “Brushes with Life" art exhibition at NC Neurosciences Hospital in Chapel Hill and exhibited at a number of art galleries and events in the Raleigh, NC area over the years.
2020 was a great year for Wiley. He had his first solo exhibition in January 2020 at the Woman's Club of Raleigh and his second solo exhibition February and March 2020 at MOFU restaurant, Raleigh, NC. He had paintings accepted into juried calls in 4 separate NC galleries in 2020: Reawakening at Golden Belt Grand Gallery and the Truth to Power 8 Exhibit at Pleiades Art in Durham, NC as well as Trade Alley Gallery in Hickory, NC, and 311 Gallery in Raleigh, NC. Wiley was also the featured artist for Arts Access's Fall ASK campaign, 2020.
Wiley was honored to have a solo exhibition with the Durham Art Guild March 2021 at the Golden Belt Gallery. He also had 3 paintings exhibited at the Block Gallery in the Art Unblocked 2021 exhibition March 3 to May 14, 2021. He has paintings at Chelsea Cafe at RTP and at Compass Rose Gallery. Wiley has a painting accepted into a juried call at the Yadkinville Cultural Arts Center July 1-August 27, 2021, and was the featured artist at Esteamed Coffee in Cary, NC July1-Sept 30, 2021.
2021
Nov. 7, 2021-Jan. 30, 2022 Imagination in Front of Pink will be exhibited at the Annual Exhibit and Sale at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, Malvern, PA. This is a juried international art call.
Oct.-Dec. 2021 Wiley has been selected to be the Q4 artist at Industrious, 555 Fayetteville St, Raleigh NC 27601
Sept 1, 2021, Wiley is proud to announce that the NC Museum of Art is now displaying his original paintings, small matted prints, note cards, and scarves
Aug. 14 2021-Oct. 2 2021 Burning has been selected to be included in an exhibition at the Floyd Center for the Arts, Floyd, VA. This was Wiley's first time entering a national juried call. The painting earned an honorable mention. Here is a link to the exhibit:https://www.floydartcenter.org/post/hayloft-gallery-aug-14-oct-2-national-juried-exhibit
Aug. 2021 Wiley is also one of 84 artists to be funded in the Pivotal Fund’s 2021 cohort.
July1 2021-Sept. 30, 2021, Wiley is the featured artist for Esteamed Coffee, 114 S Academy St, Cary, NC 27511.
May 2021 ArtLifting installed a large outdoors reproduction of Wiley's painting, Imagination, at Sutton Square, Raleigh, NC 27615.
April 2021 ArtLifting installed huge reproductions of 2 of Wiley's paintings, A Snake Arises and Colors of the Universe, in the windows of Chase Bank, 725 9th St. Durham 27705 April, 2021.
Feb. 26, 2021-ongoing Wiley has 2 paintings in The Durham Art Guild's MEMBERS’ EXTRAVANGANZA, an ONLINE exhibition.
SHOWCASE ARTWORK GALLERY(over $250): Color and Texture
MARKET ARTWORK GALLERY ($250 OR LESS): Streaming Cave Lines
Feb. 9, 2021-ongoing Wiley has paintings on display at Chelsea Cafe (RTP), 1007 Slater Rd Ste 190, Durham, NC in an ongoing exhibition.
July1 2021-Aug. 27, 2021, Yadkin Arts Council's 2021 Juried Exhibition selected Orange Peel by Wiley Johnson for exhibition.
June and July 2021 Wiley exhibited several paintings at Compass Rose Brewery, 3201 Northside Dr Ste 101, Raleigh, NC.
March 3 to May 14, 2021, Wiley had 3 paintings in Art Unblocked 2021. Arts Access, in partnership with the City of Raleigh's Block Gallery, hosted this exhibition. "The exhibition featured works of art created by emerging and established artists with disabilities. Art Unblocked 2021 was a part of the Arts Access 2021 Series of Fortunate Events."
March 22, 2021, Wiley visited the Garner Performing Art Center and was interviewed by Jon Shearin, Theater Services and Marketing Supervisor.
March 12- April 5, 2021, The Durham Art Guild presented a solo exhibition by Wiley Johnson, Through the Spectrum: Collection of Paintings, at the Golden Belt Gallery, Mill No.1, 800 Taylor St., Durham, NC 27701
Feb., 2/26/2021 Interviewed by Charles Phaneuf, President of the Raleigh/Wake County United Arts Council 2/26/21 Why Do You Paint?
2020
Dec. 4, 2020- Dec. 24, 2020 Wiley's painting "Green Spring" was selected for 311's juried December Exhibit, Something for Everyone. Opening reception was First Friday 12/4/20. The exhibit ran from 12/4-12/25/20. 311 is located at 311 Martin St., Raleigh, NC.
Dec. 3, 22020,Wiley was interviewed at his home along with Betsy Ludwig, Executive Director of Arts Access by Lauren Howard, a reporter with Spectrum News. This story ran on 12/26 and 12/27/2000.
Oct.25-29, 2020 Artspace, Raleigh, NC promoted Wiley on their social media for one week as an Artist feature.
Oct., 2020 Wiley had a painting, Life, exhibited at a juried show at Trade Alley Gallery, Hickory, NC.
Sept., 2020 Wiley is accepted as an artist by Le Galeriste, a clothing manufacturer in Montréal, Canada of wearable art.
Aug. 2020 Wiley had a painting, Inferno Coming, accepted by PLEIADES ARTS 8TH ANNUAL TRUTH TO POWER SHOW, Exhibit at Power Plant Gallery, Durham NC. August 6-30, 2020.
July-Sept., 2020 Wiley had three paintings in ReAwakening exhibit at Golden Belt Grande Gallery in Durham, NC
July 16, 2020-Wiley is the first NC artist selected by ArtLifting, a US company which “…Connects Socially Conscious Companies With Talented Artists Impacted by Homelessness Or Disabilities.”
May-July, 2020 Art Unblocked 2020: Online is a Block Gallery exhibition featuring works of art created by emerging and established artists with disabilities. 2 of Wiley's paintings are included in this gallery. This exhibition is a part of the Arts Access Series of Fortunate Events.
April, -Jun, 2020 One of Wiley's paintings, Streaming Cave Lines, was part of FRESH an Artspace fundraising exhibition featuring new works by NC artists.
Feb. 2020 Wiley was selected for a solo exhibit at Garner Performing Arts Center, 742 W Garner Rd, Garner, NC for March, 2021, but it is uncertain when it will occur due to Covid-19.
Feb. and Mar., 2020.
Solo Exhibition at MOFU Shoppe, 321 S. Blount St., Raleigh, NC 27601
Extraordinaire Art Gallery and Emporium, Triangle Town Center, 5959 Triangle Town Blvd, Raleigh, NC
Jan., 2020Solo Exhibition at Raleigh Women’s Club, 3300 Woman’s Club Drive, Raleigh, NC. Wiley was a First-place winner at the local and district Woman’s Club of Raleigh Arts Festival.
- Extraordinaire Art Gallery and Emporium, Triangle Town Center, 5959 Triangle Town Blvd, Raleigh, NC
- Artspace Gift Shop, 201 Davie St, Raleigh, NC Jan. 2020,
- Levin Jewish Community Center,1937 West Cornwallis Rd., Durham NC 27705
2019
- An Evening with Arts Access, NC Museum of History, 5 E Edenton St, Raleigh, NC
- Artspace Spring Market, 201 Davie St, Raleigh, NC 27601
- ImaginAbility Conference, Brooks Ave. Church of Christ, 700 Brooks Ave, Raleigh, NC
- Levin Jewish Community Center,1937 West Cornwallis Rd., Durham NC 27705
- Extraordinaire Art Gallery and Emporium, Triangle Town Center, 5959 Triangle Town Blvd, Raleigh, NC
- Artspace Gift Shop, 201 Davie St, Raleigh, NC
2018
- Levin Jewish Community Center,1937 West Cornwallis Rd., Durham NC 27705
- An Evening with Arts Access, Artspace, 201 E. Davie St. Raleigh, NC 27601
- “The Walls We Build: (dis)Ability” - Pleiades Arts Gallery, 109 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham, NC 27701
- ULTRALIGHT II: sponsored by Visual Art Exchange at United Arts Council - 410 Glenwood Ave., Ste 170, Raleigh, NC
2017
- ULTRALIGHT: sponsored by Visual Art Exchange, 309 West Martin Street, Raleigh NC, 27601
2010-2019
- Participated in the Brushes with Life Gallery, NC Memorial Hospital, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, most years 2010 - 2019. Wiley was a First-place winner at the local and district Woman’s Club of Raleigh Arts Festival in 2013 and when he participated again in 2020
Other Early Exhibits & Sales Events:
Wiley has also displayed paintings at Mercury Studio in Durham, NC and Extraordinary Ventures in Chapel Hill, NC. Other establishments that have displayed his paintings include Affordable Creative Framer's Art, Isaac Hunter’s Tavern, Sertoma Art Center and , and HANDmeUPs in Raleigh, NC.