FAYETTE, Mo. – The works of Fayette artist Thomas L. Yancey, well known
in central Missouri art circles, were featured at The Ashby-Hodge
Gallery of American Art at Central Methodist College during June and
July, 2000.
Titled "On Extended Wings: A Thomas L. Yancey Retrospective," the
exhibition opened June 4 and ran through July 20. A reception for the
artist was held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., June 4, in the Gallery. During
the exhibition, the Gallery was open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:40 p.m.
More than 40 works were featured in the exhibition, including acrylics,
watercolors, pastels, illustrations, mixed media pieces and sculpture.
The theme is "On Extended Wings" – angelic references. Yancey described
the collection of his works to be shown as "eclectic according to
style," and said it also covers the areas of photo-realism and
impressionism.
"These are works that go clear back to the 1950s, when I was in
college," Yancey said. "They represent both early things I worked on and
things I’ve been doing over the past two years."
Yancey, professor emeritus of art and music, retired from Central
Methodist College in 1995 after a 37-year-career as a teacher at the
CMC. He received his bachelor’s degree in music in 1954 from CMC, a
master’s degree in music from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music
in 1955 and undertook additional graduate studies in music at the
Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N.Y. "I’m basically self-taught in
art," although I’ve had some art classes," Yancey noted.
Yancey joined CMC’s Swinney Conservatory of Music faculty in 1958 as a
teacher of piano, organ and music theory. For many years he also taught
art history, a pop art course and art education. After retiring from
teaching, he served as curator of The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American
Art and the Stephens Museum/Gallery at CMC from 1993 until 1998, when he
opened a studio in downtown Fayette,where he now spends full time
working as an artist.
Many of Yancey’s works of art hang in area homes and businesses. His
award-winning painting, "The Guardian Angel,"was featured in the Spiva
Art Show in Joplin. His works have also appeared in exhibitions at
Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Tri-State Annual Juried Art
Show in Quincy, Ill., Pratt (Kansas) Community College, Columbia Art
League’s Whimsy Art Show and Art in the Woods in Overland Park, Kan.
Among Yancey’s many awards over the years is the Curator Scholar Award,
which provided an opportunity for him to participate in the Summer Art
Study Program in Germany, Czechoslovakia and Hungry in 1991. He is a
member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the
National Oil and Acrylic Painter’s Society and numerous professional
organizations in the field of music and historic preservation.
