Johnna Crider was born in Cartersville, GA to Johnnie Crider and John W. McCrary, Jr. Johnna had a rough beginning due to the facts that her father wanted nothing to do with her and her mother's family also wanted nothing to do with her or her mother. Because of this, Johnna and her mother were often homeless during Johnna's childhood. They would live in her mother's beat up old car or abandoned houses with nothing but water. Johnna escaped her cruel reality by writing--poetry and short stories.

 

Her mother moved to Shreveport, LA in 1992 where they lived in a homeless shelter called The Providence House when she was 10, 11, 12. When her mother finally got on her feet, Johnna was middle school where she did not fit in. Johnna learned the hard way that the only person who could love her and care for her was herself.

 

By 2002, her mother was ailing in health and Johnna was struggling to take care of her and finish school. Johnna finished school 2 years later than her planned date of 2001 due to health issues and her mother's health crisis. Johnna landed a job at Hollywood Casino just before her senior year and graduated in 2003. Johnna was into writing and fascinated with calligraphy which developed into painting in 2004--the very same day her mother almost died of appendecitus.

 

In 2004, Johnna moved into her own place, and tried to take care of her mother who was again facing homelessness. In early late 2004--early 2005 Johnna's art career begin to kick off. She was in a few art shows including the YWCA Women of the Arts and the Northwest Louisiana Art Gallery's 2nd exhibition which featured her coffee table that she built and painted.

In 2005, six months before the hurricanes struck, her mother moved to Atlanta to try again in a new shelter. She didn't want her daughter to see her on the streets.

 

Just after Hurricane Rita, Johnna was evicted from her apartment, just months after renewing her lease. This happened after Kevin Costner's movie crew for the movie, The Guardian rented space from her landlord. Before moving out, Johnna had the chance to donate her work to the Katrina fund for Musicians. Each sale would help a musician get a new instrument.Johnna then proceeded to Dubach, LA where she stayed with friends and then on to Atlanta, where she signed up for Job Corps. While she waited to be accepted, she resided in the Calvary Refuge Center in Jonesboro, GA. This is when she realized her destiny: Using her art to help the homeless.

Johnna was accepted into the Brunswick Job Corps Center and was there just a week before Christmas. She completed a door mural, Nalame in January, 2006, and became a leader as an artist. She also created the original Colors of Ink, used to raise money for the homeless--but that site went down and no money was made.

 

Johnna signed up for the Transportation Communications Union which is an advanced training course proviced through Job Corps and the wait was approximitely six months. Johnna made good use of her time. She was a recipient of the Center Director's Award, which is the highest award  that Brunswick Job Corps provided, given mostly to Student Government Association participants; and was on the front page of the local, The Brunswick News which featured her picture and her artwork and interviews with Johnna, her Center Director, and her Business Office Technology Instructor. She also developed skills online with html and learned how to create websites and digital art.

 

When Johnna finally got back to Atlanta, she quickly made progress in her classes at TCU, and made friends within the Little 5 Points community, where she started selling art and giving sales to shelters like Calvary Refuge and Atlanta Children's Shelter. The local publication,  Ponce Press discovered her and she was featured in the June 2007 edition. Also, in that June, Johnna met and chatted with singer celebrity Andre 3000, who now owns a piece of her art and is on her clientele list.

 

Johnna has held a part time job with Cox's Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Finance Department for the City of Atlanta. She has also been in two art shows with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that benefitted United Way of Atlanta and The Empty Stocking Fund. Johnna also participated in AB2: Art Beat 2 that was held in Downtown Atlanta at Nico's Cafe.

She is still enrolled in TCU, has completed the core curriculum and is intent on finding a full-time job and has recently been accepted into the Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring with a Masters in Arts Administration. She hopes to begin in the the fall quarter. Johnna was recently removed from the TCU program for something she didn't do. She is currently homeless and is hanging in there.

 

Johnna's mother, is also facing hard times. Her mother is currently staying in a homeless shelter and will be attending school shortly.