grace mott johnson lived in the johnson family home in yonkers, new york during the 1920s, moving to pleasantville, new york in 1927. in 1924 she went to egypt to study ancient egyptian sculpture. in 1929 she had a solo exhibition of her sculpture and drawings at the art gallery of the museum of new mexico. during the 1930s, she became a civil rights activist. she had many friends in the arts community in harlem and was an active representative of the naacp. she produced a notable series of portraits of african american adults and children. she produced very little art during the last twenty years of her life.