2005 - Present

John Koch left his journalism career in 2005 and began drawing and painting in various mediums. He took a few art courses each year, some taught by artists in their studios, others at the Center for Cambridge Adult Education; and several on the Outer Cape at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and the Fine Arts Work Center.
 
He began showing in 2009 at exhibits including:
-Evolutions, solo exhibit at Provincetown Commons, July 2022
-Castle Hill 50th Anniversary group show at Provincetown Art Association & Museum, fall 2022
-Castle Hill Connections, group show at Berta Walker Gallery, Provincetown, fall 2022
-Members Open and Benefit Exhibits at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill.
-Several Cambridge Art Association juried shows including Blue (2009) and Red (2011).
-10 Miller Street Open Studios, Somerville, MA, (2010 and 2013)
-Solo show of paintings and drawings at COA Gallery in Truro, MA (August, 2012).

EARLY CAREER

Koch’s career as a journalist centered on the arts.

1970-2005

Writer, Critic and Editor at:
The Boston Globe (1979-2005)
The Boston Herald American
The Boston Phoenix
The Boston Herald Traveler

The work included several years as film critic, culture and feature writer, weekly interviewer for the Boston Globe Magazine, and Arts Editor at both the Herald American and the Globe. John’s nearly 10 years heading up the Globe’s arts department offered full immersion in an exciting world he cared about deeply. He interviewed scores of artists and occasionally wrote about visual art. It was often instructive, eye-opening, and fun.

But, he says, “I was still frustratingly distant…from my destination.”

He retired in the spring of 2005 to begin life as an artist.

Articles about John Koch:

Celebrating Five Decades of Castle Hill
by Abraham Storer, Provincetown Independent, October 27, 2022

John Koch Mixes it Up
by Abraham Storer, Provincetown Independent, July 14th, 2022

A Palette of Time, Discipline and Passion
by Deborah Minsky, Provincetown Banner, August 2, 2012
 
“ArtTalk” interviews broadcast on WMOR-FM, Provincetown, MA, summer, 2012.
Two half-hour dialogues conducted by Christopher Busa, art journalist and founder and editor of Provincetown Arts Magazine.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A few of the artist-instructors Koch gratefully credits for essential help and inspiration include:
Laura Shabott, Alana Barrett, Michael Walczak, Brett Gamache, Joel Janowitz, Sheila Rice, Alexandra Sheldon, Anne McGhee, Robert Henry, Selina Trieff, Barbara Baum, Joyce Zavorskas, Sal Del Deo, Rob DuToit, Jack Coughlin, Joan Hopkins, Eleanor Meldahl, William Papaleo, Antonia Ramis Miguel, Richard Baker, Anne Flash and Amy Wynne.