Cedric Johnson, 25

By Barbara Connors

25-year-oldCedric Johnson decided very young that if something was going to get done, he might as well be the one to do it.

It didn’t hurt that at nine years old, he saw relative, Charles Box, elected as Mayor of Rockford. “That was pretty inspiring.”

As a teen, he clocked in volunteer hours with the Discovery Center Museum, Rockford Area High School Arts Council, Diversity of Rockford and the Rockford Area Arts Council.

Johnson says education at Keith School, a place that “pinpoints your talents and helps you grow,” has helped him develop close friends and boost his confidence. He’s become the youngest member of the school’s alumni board; reaching out to his Generation Y classmates to get them to attend the annual reunions. “I’m a good hype man.”

After pursuing a degree at Knox College, Johnson is back in Rockford turning his promotional talents towards a career as community relations and development specialist at the American Red Cross and towards his passion for boosting the local arts community.

After hours, if Johnson’s not hanging around in downtown Rockford, he’s running his newly formed company Mosaic Productions to promote emerging artists. A recent show for an area photographer at Kuma’s Asian Bistro resulted in sales of half her collection. An upcoming show blends hip hop music with live graffiti art.

“What makes Rockford so great is that the art scene here is like a blank slate. The stage is set for people in my generation to do something great. We may have to be a bit more aggressive in doing it.”