John Churchman '75

John Churchman recalls finding a sense of place in the arts department at Episcopal, “I think the thing about art classes was the very welcoming environment.” Within the arts department, teacher John Lisanick was of great influence on Churchman as he remembers him as “very gentle, nice, and instructive.” On the Hill, Churchman was able to work with his teachers and peers to develop his artistic skills as well as discover a passion for the arts.

Churchman graduated from Vassar College in 1979, where he majored in English and was heavily involved in the theater department. He then moved to New York and worked with several renowned photographers and even took a turn at modeling. After his time in The Big Apple, Churchman moved up to Vermont to further pursue his art career. Fast forward to today and Churchman still lives in Essex, Vt., with his wife, Jennifer, at their home, “Moonrise Farm,” taking care of their numerous animals, and creating beloved children’s books that tell stories about the highs and lows of caring for them.

In the adventures of Sweet Pea & Friends, the Churchmans created a uniquely successful book that combines both photo-illustration and carefully crafted words that appeal to children as well as adults. In 2015, they independently published their first book The SheepOver after raising funds to print through Kickstarter. Churchman delivered several copies of the book to Elizabeth Blumle, of Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vt., who, unbeknownst to him, was a contributing writer for Publisher’s Weekly. Blumle wrote a rave review and, within hours, the Churchmans were fielding offers from publishers from around the world. They have since printed several books with their publisher, are officially New York Times Bestselling Authors, and have a new book available for pre-order at sweetpeafriendsbookstore.com, titled, Happy Birthday to Ewe.

While Churchman is now a published author, his artistic and personal pursuits extend far beyond that. He has worked with several clients including, but not limited to, State of Vermont, New England Culinary Institute, Goodrich, Warner Bros., and Hallmark Cards. He was the President of the Board of Trustees at a gallery in Burlington, Vt., and a juried artisan. In addition to his client-based work Churchman is a passionate photographer who focuses on color and light in his distinctive images to bring his work to life.

“Ultimately, when it’s all said and done, there's not a whole lot that we necessarily leave behind and the thing I like about children’s books is that when I’m gone my books will be around and I’ll be remembered in some way…you can’t hope for much more than making something that brings a little light and joy to our lives.”