In Memory of
Sara Lynne Johnson
September 28, 1980 – May 25, 2017

I met Sara for the first time when she came to my studio for her BARE shoot. We had mutual friends in common and I had seen her around town at different events, but we never really talked until her shoot. As we talked and I got to know her, I saw what a beautiful person she was. As with all the BARE models, she was dealing with things and that’s why she wanted to do BARE. Two of the main issues she was struggling with were depression and a negative body-image, which are depicted in the photos on the next page. After her shoot, Sara was very supportive of the project and offered to help in many ways. She was always supportive of local artists and everyone she met. I was always bewildered by the demons Sara fought, because she was so beautiful on the inside and the outside, and she always seemed to have such a positive and helpful attitude towards others.

Three years and three months after Sara’s BARE shoot, she lost her battle with depression. She struggled and fought a private war every day, until she couldn’t. Her death has left a void in the lives of everyone who knew and loved her. Sara believed that every day we all have a choice, and she tried every day to make this world a more beautiful place. She started a non-profit with two of her artist friends called ‘About This Life’ and they traveled to different places painting murals, including to Boston after the bombing, and they even went to France. Sara worked with young girls on the Pine Ridge Reservation and spent time with local veterans. She truly touched so many lives and brought so much beauty to this world.

In Sara’s honor and in keeping with the world she envisioned, I hope that we will all be kinder to each other, that we will listen to each other more, and that we will advocate for those around us. I hope that every day, we will try to make choices that spread love and joy, and that we will take actions that make this world a better place.