Johnna Wells

On Mother’s Day, it’s strange and beautiful to remember that inside you lives a small inheritance that has crossed oceans of time without ever truly letting go. Your mitochondrial DNA. And it comes almost entirely from your mother.
 And hers came from her mother.
And hers from another mother before her. An unbroken line. No kingdoms.
No surnames.
No borders. 
Just women carrying life forward. Tethered together through cold winters, migrations, famines, births, loves, griefs, songs, celebrations, the highest highs and lowest lows spread out through centuries. Women with hands, a heartbeat, fears, memories, and longing. Women that could never have imagined You. Women, centuries back, whose tiny embers still burn quietly in your cells. A map of mothers. A memory trail. Unseen, yet recognizable. The end of a chain that never broke. Again, and again, and again. An inheritance that arrived here - in you. Here’s to those who steward this inheritance through the bitter and sweet. Through community, through friendship, through sisterhood, through motherhood in all its forms.

Where Old Town and Chinatown converge, my heart flutters on the daily. Here at my office & art studio, the dappled light pours into a wash of golden geometric shapes. The warmth of the turn of the century brick pulls me in. The pulse of the city churning and humming down below sets a rhythm that moves me. The crows and pigeons that perch within reach…It all makes me swoon. We’ve been exclusive for a year and a half, building auctions, powering philanthropy, fueling support for Menopunks, painting ideas into existence. It’s held me through burnouts, and breakthroughs. Through making messes and making meaning. It’s held space for so many versions of me. And my word am I grateful. Creative chemistry is a real thing. And I’m head over heels up in here. In short, if I met this space at a bar, I would absolutely take it home. Every single time. 😅😍

The first round of photos have dropped from p:ear Blossoms. And I’ve needed a beat to compose myself. This Event. These Founders. @lizabethburns , @pippaarend , @joyccartier …Three women seeking to create meaningful opportunities for young people experiencing homelessness. This Team. Radiant pillars of steadfast heart and care. These Youth. Brilliant and resilient young people moving through and beyond homelessness. This Community. Profoundly generous donors and friends. Rockin’ tender hearts. Keepers of the light. Our stories intertwined. Always. Twenty-two years now, rallying with some of the most fiercely inspiring humans I’ve ever known. In many ways, we’ve grown up together haven’t we… And it’s passed us by in the blink of an eye. As life is surely known to do. Congratulations @pearmentor and team on such a joyous and generous night of friendship, love, and celebration for futures still being written. We are all forever yours p:ear. Forever yours. 📸🥳 @laura.mazy

Beneath every moment of this night was something deeper. p:ear Blossoms: Compose invited guests to look beyond the surface—to see the creativity, resilience, and potential within every young person they serve. Through art, movement, and community, the evening celebrated youth building their own brighter futures with the support of mentorship and opportunity. A powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community shows up. @pearmentor builds positive relationships with homeless youth through education, art, recreation and job training to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.

Congratulations to @cchsrams on a beautiful 31st Presidents Dinner & Auction. This year’s Light the Way theme was reflected throughout the evening, with the room glowing in warm golden light and playful illuminated balloons setting the tone for an inspiring evening filled with meaningful moments Guests enjoyed incredible student talent, including a special performance from the spring musical and a live painting created and auctioned to support tuition assistance. Thank you for continuing to host your celebration with us—we’re grateful to be part of this special night! Venue @avenueportland AV Production @theavdepartment Catering @vibrant_table Auctioneer @johnna_lee Emcee @b.scar Auction Software @auctria Registration @eventsavvypdx Rentals @ardeneventcollective #annualgala #fundraisingevent #benefitdinner #portlandeventvenue #portlandeventspace

The CAP Art Auction.
Portland’s most powerful night of art and impact! Together, across the decades, this beautiful, resilient, unstoppable community, has created more than an event. We’ve built a living, breathing expression of what’s possible when creativity meets compassion…
when art becomes action…
when generosity becomes a shared language. A language that speaks boldly in support of inclusive health and wellness for LGBTQ+ communities, for those living with and affected by HIV, and for every person seeking care rooted in dignity and humanity. A language that speaks with reverence to those who came before us, whose beloved memories remain. A language that calls us all forward. With an invitation to leave the light on for others To keep showing up.
To keep giving.
To keep believing in what we can build together. Congratulations @cascadeaidsproject , @onesourcestrategy and team on the creation of another gorgeous and generous night of love and care for CAP! 🥹👏🏽😍

A collective yes. A room full of people leaning in, showing up, and giving in ways that move a mission forward. Last night we celebrated 45 years of care through Cascadia Health and revved up with momentum for what comes next. There were moments no one could have predicted. And flashes of radical generosity so profound, we were reminded of what’s possible when a community rises together. We’re still waiting on final numbers…
but the feeling in the room said everything. A vibrant proclamation that when a community comes together to support mental health, recovery, housing, primary care, and connection… not as separate paths, but part of one integrated journey, lives are changed, hope is restored, and futures are made possible. Grateful to everyone who stepped into the arena of radical generosity last night. Thank you dear hearts for making last night an unforgettable success. Congratulations @lemacbeth and @cascadia_health on such a vibrant night of care, connection, and generosity. You’re loved to the moon and back. 🌕💞

I love my city. I love my country. No Kings. No Crowns. We Won’t Back Down. Portland, Oregon - March 28, 2026 Photo by the Captain of 5th and Flanders and all things Povey, Portland photographer, Steve Bloch. #NoKings

Art remains one of the most powerful ways we can claim our voice, tell our stories, and remind the world that Creativity and Freedom belong to everyone. I can’t imagine a better night during a better time to celebrate a RECORD BREAKING night of support for @artisttrust than right here and now. And oh what a night of record breaking generosity it was! Congratulations dear friends on such a monumental night celebrating 40 years of Artist Trust’s enduring efforts to ensure that artists across Washington State have the support they need to keep creating, keep expressing, and keep reminding us of what’s possible. 🫶🖤💸 Cheers and love to you @onesourcestrategy on such a radiant night of next level experience! And Juliana Sloper… you were with us in spirit!

Congratulations to Volunteers of America Oregon on 130 years of service! For over a century, you’ve shown up for Oregonians navigating life’s hardest chapters. And you’ve done so with compassion, courage, and an unwavering commitment to deliver real solutions grounded in humanity. Thank you for making sure no one in our community is ever forgotten. Here’s to a beautiful night shared with our community change makers and the next chapter of hope, possibility, and impact! 🥳👏🏽😍 @fundraisingeventco , @avenueportland @boyandbeanmusic @pdxphotolounge @boyandbeanmusic @devilsfoodcatering @petkusa @auctionsupport

Last night we celebrated more than 150 years of bringing pets and people together through @oregonhumane . During a time when it can seem hard to find sparks of hope and humanity, this tail-wagging night of immense joy, tremendous heart, endless love, old friendships reunited (@kimmausgdo !) and unforgettable generosity in celebration of Oregon Humane was a balm for the heart. Cheers to you Oregon Humane, @pdxtiff and team for your inspiring efforts to transform compassion into action, creating an ecosystem where all of us - animals and humans - feel safe, valued, and part of something bigger. 💛🐾♥️

⚡️MENOPUNKS DEMAND HORMONAL JUSTICE NOW!💪🩸🤬⚡️ FOR THE RECORD - NOT “DOZENS” BUT THOUSANDS OF YOU HAVE REACHED OUT WITH YOUR STORIES AND SUPPORT - WE SEE U ⚡️WE HEAR U⚡️ WE GOT U⚡️WE ARE U❤️‍🔥💪⚡️xoxo @ajrhq ⚡️“People have been debunking the WHI study for years, [but] it hasn’t gained traction until now,” she says. “This didn’t start with me. I’m just a musician who wanted to know why her tube of vaginal estrogen cream came with a PROBABLE DEMENTIA warning.” More than anything, Rose wants “Menopunks” to spark some measure of redress: “My dream is that people finally and fully understand the scale of this violation,” she says. “This didn’t just affect the United States. It affected the world.” HUGE PROPS TO Dr. Aoife O’Sullivan @portlandmenopausedoc for these fancy slides and for being on this wild journey with me! LETS FCKING GO💪⚡️ ❤️‍🔥READ IT ALL LINK IN BIO❤️‍🔥 ⚡️LFG @menopunks !!⚡️ ⚡️Thx to the brilliant @andizeis @salonofficial for this incendiary piece about the @menopunks movement and the damage done by the WHI & black box warnings!! It’s time for a hormonal revolution so we can overthrow the evil p*do regime and rebuild the system so it benefits ALL BODIES. 💪❤️‍🔥⚡️ ALSO: 🖕🧊❤️‍🔥 SUBSCRIBE⚡️AMPLIFY⚡️SUPPORT ❤️‍🔥LINKS IN BIO❤️‍🔥⚡️ ⚡️MENOPUNKS IS A MISINFORMATION SHATTERING FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AND PODCAST ABOUT PERI/MENOPAUSE AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF DEFIANT GENX MUSICIANS, TRAILBLAZING DOCTORS AND OPINIONATED CELEBRITY CULTURE BEARERS ⚡️ ⚡️GET ON THE LIST: ⚡️ #menopause #perimenopause #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonalrevolution #GENX