Graham Johnston

Graham David John­ston is a craftsper­son, educa­tor and designer based in Savan­nah, Ga. He special­izes in tech­ni­cal wood­work­ing, historic preser­va­tion and teach­ing the funda­men­tals of furni­ture making. Graham believes that creatively happens within the constraint, whether that be mate­r­ial, func­tion, form or time. He is a safety focused wood­worker with a passion and enthu­si­asm for sharing his skills with students from all back­grounds and skill levels.

Before turning to wood­work­ing, Graham worked for 7 years in local news publish­ing. In 2016 he trav­eled to Vermont and began study­ing fine furni­ture build­ing at the Vermont Wood­work­ing School. When he completed the program, he served as the school’s shop manager for two years. Wanting to teach at the college level, he enrolled at Savan­nah College of Art and Design to complete a Master of Fine Arts degree in Furni­ture Design. In 2021 Graham served as the teach­ing intern for an intro­duc­tory under­grad­u­ate wood­work­ing course. After grad­u­a­tion, Graham hopes to find a career that allows him to gain more expe­ri­ence educat­ing new wood­work­ers, as well as contin­u­ing to explore his own craft.

While in school, Graham worked as a lead carpen­ter for Land­mark Preser­va­tion, a historic preser­va­tion contrac­tor based in Savan­nah. In both Savan­nah and around the state, Graham has worked on nation­ally regis­tered historic build­ings and led teams of crafts­peo­ple in careful restora­tion and preservation.