Final answer:
William Johnson was an African American artist known for his paintings that portray the everyday lives of African Americans, employing a folk-art style. His significant contributions to the arts were nearly lost due to a fire and his institutionalization, but the Harmon Foundation saved his work by donating over 1,000 pieces to the Smithsonian.
Step-by-step explanation:
The name Frances Johnson may refer to various individuals, each with different contributions, but if the subject is arts, the most notable figure is William Johnson, a prominent African American painter who lived from 1901 to 1970. Born in South Carolina, Johnson moved to New York City to study at the National Academy of Design before working in France and Scandinavia, where he was influenced by folk art. As an artist, Johnson portrayed the everyday lives of African Americans across urban and rural settings, celebrating their cultures and traditions through a folk-art style. Tragedy struck in 1942 when a fire destroyed his studio and lost many of his artworks; this was followed by his wife's death and later, Johnson's own mental health decline, leading to his institutionalization. Despite these adversities, the Harmon Foundation preserved over 1,000 pieces of his work by donating them to the Smithsonian.