Local boy’s art exhibit expresses pride for El Paso

Chance Bailey Johnson, 10, uses every brush stroke to pay homage to his hometown.

“We have so many good landmarks. We have a mountain that’s beautiful. We have the beautiful Plaza Theater. We have the alligator plaza,” Johnson said. “It’s an amazing feeling to know you’ve finished a masterpiece, and that it’s done and it’s perfected.”

Johnson had all of his paintings on display on Sunday for his first ever art exhibit at the Montecillo shopping center.

“I never thought that this would happen to me. I thought that it would just be my paintings — my art show would be in the attic, just putting up my paintings,” Johnson said. “But, it got to this level and now I am just — wow.”

Johnson’s art journey began when he was just two years old. He transformed the walls in his house into a canvas.

“Chance started much like any child. He ended up doodling at about two years of age. His first — to use his words — installation, was on our wall,” Chance’s mother Nancy Johnson said. “Of course we painted (over) that.”

Chance was putting the finishing touches on a painting of the Plaza Theater during his exhibit. People passing through the shopping center would stop what they were doing just to watch the young artist paint.

“He’s inspired. He’s able to express his feelings, good and bad and get those out onto the canvas, onto the sketch pad,” Nancy said.

Though this is just the beginning for Chance, he said he feels that art is his purpose.

“i have to admit, yes, this is something I want to do for the rest of my life,” Chance said. “I’ve always wanted to inspire other kids to do art. That’s the one thing that I’ve wanted to do.”