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Thomas, George C.

B. 1934

Thomas sold his first painting at age 14 in the Sidewalk Art Sale and at age 22 won a merit award in an Artist-Patron show. He studied drawing with William Schontzeler and Sandy Sutherland on island. Thomas worked in watercolor from 1950-1958, lithography and etching from 1960-1964, photography from 1962-1985, and pastels from 1985-2008. He has been active with the AAN for many years and currently serves on the Board of Directors and is a member of the Permanent Collection Committee.

Born 1934. The Hill School, 1952. Wellington College, England, 1953. Princeton University, A.B., 1957. U.S. Naval Officer's School, 1957. Boston Museum School, M. F. A. in painting and print making, 1964.
Teaching Experience: Tufts University, Art History, instructor 1963-64. Part-time art instructor Milton Academy, 1964. Photographer-in-Residence, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA 1965-66. Instructor of print-making, Worcester, Museum School, 1965. Assistant Professor of photography, MIT, 1966-71. Occasional lecturer, Boston Museum School 1967-68. Lecturer, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 1975. Conducted several traveling photographic workshops at MIT 1966-71. Held annual private workshops in watercolor and pastel on Nantucket 1985-96 as well as summer painting workshops in Nova Scotia 1989-94.
Exhibitions: Artwork included in group shows at Newport, RI Artists Association 195960 as well as Artists Association of Nantucket exhibitions 1960-96. Included in group exhibitions Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1964 and R.I. S.D. 1. gallery show Providence, RI, 1968. MIT gallery exhibition 1978-79. One-person shows at Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA 1966, creative photography gallery, MIT 1976 and Little Gallery, Nantucket 1960-96. Private gallery shows include Main St. Gallery, Nantucket 1985, Sailors Valentine Gallery, Nantucket 1993, and South Warf Gallery, Nantucket 1994-95. Work shown off-island at the Left Bank Gallery, Wellfleet, MA and the Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme, Conn. Work published in "The Review, Cape Cod's Arts & Antiques Magazine," Summer 1991 and "Nantucket Magazine," Summer 1996. Completed various photographic and art illustration assignments for Canadian and American yachting magazines (1970-1978). Participated in 1998 in the Mystic Maritime Gallery (Connecticut) annual international marine exhibition.
Professional: Officer in charge of art unit at U.S. Navy Base, Newport, RI 1957-60. Documentary Photographer for Operation Crossroads-Africa and Peace Corps in Africa 1963, Photographic, assignments in Western Europe 1964. Photographed and published privately a book, Margaree, Photographs of Cape Breton 1980. Subject of Canadian Nation Film Board feature film, Margaree People, 1976. Entire I 0-year Canadian documentary project purchased by Canadian National Archives, 1980.
Collections: Included in collections of the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA, Canadian Nation Film Board Stills Division, Art Bank of Canada, and Canadian National Archives, as well as in numerous private collection in U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Maritime Experience: Lived 45 years on Nantucket, involved in fishing, sailing, and painting marine subjects. 1970-1980 lived on Nova Scotian Farm next to the sea and chartered my schooner for sailing and fishing ventures. Four ocean sailing races, various bare-boat charters in Greece, Bahamas, and Leeward Islands.