Design Observer

Archive
Books + Store
Job Board
Email Archive
Comments
About
Contact
Log In
Register



Observatory

Resources
Submissions
About
Contact


Featured Writers

Michael Bierut
William Drenttel
John Foster
Jessica Helfand
Alexandra Lange
Mark Lamster
Paul Polak
Rick Poynor
John Thackara
Rob Walker



Change Observer

Resources
Submissions
About
Contact



Places

About
Journal Archive
Partner Schools
Foundation
Submissions
Call for Articles
Contact



Observer Media

Submissions
About
Contact



OBlog

Submit a Tip
Contact


John Foster


John Foster has been a longtime collector of self-taught art and vernacular photography, as well as an artist, designer, and art curator. His collection of anonymous, found snapshots has toured the country for over five years and has been reviewed and featured in Harper’s Magazine, Newsweek Online, Phaidon, SF Gate, The Village Voice and many others. In 2005, Art & Antiques magazine named John one of the “Top 100 Collectors” in the United States. John currently serves on the Board of Trustees for SPACES, an organization dedicated to saving and preserving arts and cultural environments; and is an Advisory Board Member of the Folk Art Society of America.

John holds an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis and a BFA from East Carolina University School of Art. For eleven years, he taught graphic design and fine arts at John Burroughs School in St. Louis; he was a member of the corporate design group at Fleishman-Hillard International Communications and later Associate Principal at Buck Consultants, a national firm focused on HR and the design of employee communications.

John was a co-founder of ENVISION Folk Art of Missouri and for 10 years edited their publication. He is also writer and has been a guest speaker at the American Folk Art Museum in NY, The Peabody-Essex Museum; and at numerous museums, art conferences and universities across the country.

John and his wife Teenuh have two grown children, Hannah and Luke.

Contact Information:
fosterdesign [at] charter.net
accidentalmysteries.blogspot.com/



Posts by John Foster

OBSERVATORY: A Nod to Surrealism (05.19.13)
OBSERVATORY: Enjoying TypeToy (05.05.13)
OBSERVATORY: The Inkblot and Popular Culture (04.28.13)
OBSERVATORY: The Deep Roots of Modernism (04.21.13)
OBSERVATORY: The Imagination of Playgrounds (04.14.13)
OBSERVATORY: A Collection for the Ages (04.07.13)
OBSERVATORY: Drawn to Currency (03.31.13)
OBSERVATORY: Defiant Beauty (03.24.13)
OBSERVATORY: Dreams of the Sonora Aero Club (03.17.13)
OBSERVATORY: Kodachrome Finds New Life (03.10.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.03.13 (03.03.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.24.13 (02.24.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.17.13 (02.17.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.10.13 (02.10.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.03.13 (02.03.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.27.13 (01.27.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.20.13 (01.20.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.13.13 (01.13.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.06.13 (01.06.13)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.30.12 (12.30.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.23.12 (12.23.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.16.12 (12.16.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.09.12 (12.09.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.02.12 (12.02.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.25.12 (11.25.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.18.12 (11.18.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.11.12 (11.11.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.04.12 (11.04.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.28.12 (10.28.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.21.12 (10.21.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.14.12 (10.14.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.07.12 (10.07.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.30.12 (09.30.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.23.12 (09.23.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.16.12 (09.16.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.09.12 (09.09.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.02.12 (09.02.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 08.26.12 (08.26.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 08.19.12 (08.19.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 08.12.12 (08.12.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 08.05.12 (08.05.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 07.29.12 (07.29.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 07.22.12 (07.22.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries: 07.15.12 (07.15.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries: 07.08.12 (07.08.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries: 07.01.12 (07.01.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries: 06.24.12 (06.24.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 06.10.12 (06.10.12)
OBSERVATORY: Bumbos, Swirlys and a Chinese Birdcage: A Snapshot of Marbles (06.03.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 05.27.12 (05.27.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 05.20.12 (05.20.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 05.06.12 (05.06.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.29.12 (04.29.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.22.12 (04.22.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.15.12 (04.15.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.08.12 (04.08.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.01.12 (04.01.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.25.12 (03.25.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.18.12 (03.18.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.11.12 (03.11.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.04.12 (03.04.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.26.12 (02.26.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.19.12 (02.19.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.12.12 (02.12.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.05.12 (02.05.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.29.12 (01.29.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.22.12 (01.22.12)
OBSERVATORY: Remembering Eva Zeisel (01.15.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.08.12 (01.08.12)
OBSERVATORY: A New American Picture: Doug Rickard and Street Photography in the Age of Google (01.01.12)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.25.11 (12.25.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.18.11 (12.18.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.11.11 (12.11.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.04.11 (12.04.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.27.11 (11.27.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.20.11 (11.20.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.13.11 (11.13.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.06.11 (11.06.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.31.11: Plastic Monkey Heads and Ancient Rituals (10.31.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.23.11 (10.23.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.16.11 (10.15.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.09.11 (10.09.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.02.11 (10.02.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.25.11 (09.25.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.18.11 (09.18.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 09.04.11 (09.04.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 08.21.11 (08.21.11)
OBSERVATORY: Underground Vietnam Military Patches (08.18.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 08.14.11 (08.14.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 08.07.11 (08.08.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 07.31.11 (07.31.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 07.24.11 (07.24.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 07.17.11 (07.17.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 07.10.11 (07.10.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 07.03.11 (07.03.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 06.26.11 (06.26.11)
CHANGE OBSERVER: DART St. Louis (06.24.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 06.19.11 (06.19.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 06.12.11 (06.12.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 05.29.11 (05.29.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 05.22.11 (05.21.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 05.15.11 (05.15.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 05.01.11 (05.01.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.24.11 (04.24.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.17.11 (04.17.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.10.11 (04.10.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 04.03.11 (04.03.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.27.11 (03.27.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.20.11 (03.20.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.13.11 (03.12.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 03.06.11 (03.06.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.27.11 (02.27.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.20.11 (02.20.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.13.11 (02.13.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 02.06.11 (02.06.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.30.11 (01.30.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.23.11 (01.23.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.16.11 (01.16.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.09.11 (01.09.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 01.02.11 (01.02.11)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.26.10 (12.26.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.19.10 (12.19.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.12.10 (12.12.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 12.05.10 (12.05.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.28.10 (11.27.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.21.10 (11.21.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.14.10 (11.13.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 11.07.10 (11.07.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.31.10 (10.31.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.24.10 (10.24.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.17.10 (10.17.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.10.10 (10.10.10)
OBSERVATORY: Accidental Mysteries, 10.03.10 (10.03.10)

DESIGN OBSERVER JOBS