(HAMILTON, NJ) -- Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) has announced two new appointments to its leadership team, Grace Yasumura as Curator at Grounds For Sculpture and Margaret Johnson as Managing Director at Johnson Atelier (JA).
Earlier this year, Johnson Atelier, a sculpture fabrication and conservation facility located on the GFS campus, became a wholly owned subsidiary of the sculpture park, creating an epicenter of industry-leading contemporary sculpture production and making way for even greater relationship-building between the next generation of artists and a more diverse audience. With the addition of Yasumura to GFS and Johnson to Johnson Atelier, both organizations will expand their support of artists’ ambitious next steps in their practice and connect artists and their practices with the public. Both Yasumura and Johnson assumed their roles on Monday, October 13, 2025.
“We’re pleased to welcome Grace and Margaret and have their leadership as Grounds For Sculpture and Johnson Atelier move into a chapter of expanded artist impact,” said Gary Garrido Schneider, Executive Director at Grounds For Sculpture. “I look forward to seeing the projects they undertake, which will support experimentation, and artistic and intellectual exchange across both organizations, allowing us to deliver on our mission to make sculpture and public art widely accessible.”
As Curator, Yasumura is responsible for elevating GFS’s profile through exhibitions that encourage new understandings of exemplary works of sculpture while supporting works produced by contemporary artists. Prior to joining Grounds For Sculpture, Yasumura served as an assistant curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where she co-curated the exhibition The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture. She has also served as the project manager for Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past, a digital archive that investigates how we visualize, interpret, and engage the histories of enslavement through contemporary monuments.
Yasumura brings a deep understanding of public art and relevant contextualization thereof, enabling GFS to represent broader and expansive narratives through its exhibitions program. She holds a Doctorate in Art History from the University of Maryland, College Park; a Master of Arts in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Justice Studies from Wellesley College.
“I am honored to join the team at Grounds For Sculpture. I deeply admire the organization's long-standing commitment to living artists and local communities, and I am thrilled to continue its commitment to being reflective and responsive to the world around us,” stated Grace Yasumura, Curator at Grounds For Sculpture. “I am also excited to join GFS after its dynamic and transformational merger with Johnson Atelier, which promises to expand the reach, relevance and impact of Grounds For Sculpture’s artistic contributions for all audiences.”
As Johnson Atelier’s Managing Director, Johnson oversees all aspects of the organization’s operations, from strategic planning, marketing and client engagement strategies, capability expansion, and business development initiatives aimed at expanding the Atelier's project pipeline and strengthening its position as a leader in art fabrication. She was most recently at Urban Art Projects (UAP), where she served as Principal and Senior Curator, leading North American curatorial teams while driving business development across diverse international markets spanning the US, China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Johnson also developed UAP's esteemed foundry artist-in-residence program, working with acclaimed artists including Jeffrey Gibson, Sheila Pepe, Torkwase Dyson, and Lindy Lee. Prior to UAP, Johnson spent several years immersed in China's contemporary art scene, serving as Senior Curator at island6 Arts Center and Educational Coordinator at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, where she led hands-on educational workshops around major international touring exhibitions, including Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal, the Centre Pompidou's Surrealism & Beyond, Cai Guo-Qiang's The Ninth Wave, and the 10th Shanghai Biennale. Originally from Georgia, Johnson's international experience has shaped her approach as both a storyteller and strategic relationship builder, bridging diverse audiences with powerful artistic experiences.
"This merger represents an extraordinary moment—the unification of Johnson Atelier and Grounds For Sculpture creates unprecedented synergy between production, exhibition, and public engagement,” shared Margaret Johnson, Managing Director at Johnson Atelier. “I'm particularly energized by the opportunity to expand our artist residency program, supporting artists as they explore new materials, scales, and contexts for their work. Together, we'll build a model where fabrication and exhibition work in concert, allowing us to commission groundbreaking work while making contemporary sculpture more accessible to diverse audiences."
Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) is a 42-acre not-for-profit sculpture park, arboretum, and museum, founded by the late Seward Johnson. Featuring over 300 contemporary sculptures by renowned and emerging artists in a beckoning, ever-changing landscape, Grounds For Sculpture combines art and nature to surprise, inspire, and engage visitors from all backgrounds in the artist’s act of invention. Grounds For Sculpture offers exhibitions in six indoor galleries alongside experiential art, horticulture, and wellness programs and its campus includes 25 artist studios and Johnson Atelier, which boasts state of the art sculpture fabrication and restoration capabilities. Located in Hamilton, New Jersey, Grounds For Sculpture is easily accessible from the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas by public transit and is open year-round.
