Terry DeLapp

October 24, 1934 - October 29, 2020 Terry DeLapp, the pioneering Los Angeles art dealer who later became an artist, died on October 29, 2020 from pneumonia at his home in Cambria, California. He was 86. His wife, Gus DeLapp, was at his bedside and confirmed the death.Terry led a a life of unusual dimensions, experiencing tragedies and triumphs, and was known for the great humor and composure with which he greeted whatever came his way. His wide circle of friends from many backgrounds and fields was a testament to his open mindedness and loyalty: his friends included not only museum curators, art dealers, collectors, artists, writers and celebrities, but also art pickers, deputy sheriffs, golfers, fitness buffs, maître d's and barflies. Terry had a knack for attracting people who were true to themselves, whatever that truth might be, and he respected these friends for their genuineness, which often seemed to include equal measures of humor and unconventionality, qualities he also possessed and which he enjoyed in others.Born on October 24, 1934 in Pasadena, California, Terry grew up in South Pasadena and San Marino, the son of Terrell (Terry) J. DeLapp, the noted publicist for both Paramount and Universal Studios who had previously been the day city editor of the Los Angeles Times, and Maxine Elwell DeLapp, daughter of Hazel Elwell Rhodes and stepdaughter of Judge Roy V. Rhodes, a Superior Court judge. This promising beginning unexpectedly changed course when Terry's parents divorced in 1940 and his father was killed in an automobile accident on Sunset Boulevard in 1943. Sent as a six-year old to the Southwestern Military Academy in San Marino, Terry spent his childhood years as a resident student, where he learned many lessons on responsibility and self-reliance that would serve him well in later years. When his grandfather died in 1948, his grandmother Hazel sold "Rhodeside," the family home in South Pasadena, and moved with Terry to Cambria, where he finished high school. His grandmother, an accomplished opera singer and voice teacher, instilled in Terry a love of music which later appeared in his lifelong interest in the Flamenco guitar, which he learned to play.Terry enrolled at UCLA, graduating in 1955, and also studied the at Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts), prefiguring his career as an artist. While at UCLA, he met Gigi Marcus, daughter of well-known civil rights lawyer David C. Marcus; they were married in 1956 and had five children: Stephen, Terry, Robert, John and Valerie. In 1959, Terry opened his first art gallery, operating from his home in Pasadena. Soon after, in 1960, he opened the first of several galleries on North La Cienega in West Hollywood, specializing in 19th and 20th century American art, especially the Hudson River artists, the first West Coast gallery to offer such work. He participated in the legendary Monday Night Artwalks, and became friends with the other gallerists, many of whom, along with Terry, are now part of Los Angeles art history. Terry was divorced in 1968, and became a private art dealer in the West Hollywood area working from home, first on Almont Drive, which became a meeting place for many in the art world, and later on Sierra Mar. In 1971, Terry met Gus Pizzuto, who became his second wife. They quickly became inseparable, spending nearly 50 years together. It wasn't long after he met Gus that a young comedian who was eager to learn about collecting art found Terry. Steve Martin recognized Terry's affability, knowledge and "eye," and Terry sensed Steve's talent, serious interest in art and of course, his humor. Terry became a mentor to Steve, not only by teaching him about art, but also as a close friend who let Steve use the spare bedroom on Almont Drive as his L.A. base when Steve was frequently on the road doing stand-up. They remained friends throughout the years.Another long-lasting friendship formed in the mid-1970s when Terry met antiquarian book and art dealer Victoria Dailey, the extent of whose shared interests astounded even them. When Terry began to make art in addition to selling it, Victoria encouraged him, and in 1981, gave him his first painting exhibition at her rare book shop and gallery on Melrose Avenue. Thus launched, Terry decided to pursue a painting career, which led to gallery exhibitions throughout the country and a solo exhibition at the Bakersfield Museum of Art in 1998. Terry and Gus moved to Cambria in 1994 where Terry could concentrate on painting in his distinct, tonalist-inspired style, especially the varied landscapes of central California. Cambria had been an important refuge in his youth, and once again, it became a haven for him. Although he occasionally missed the activity of the Los Angeles art world, he found his ultimate inspiration and contentment living with Gus by the ocean's edge in Cambria.In addition to his wife, Terry is survived by his sons Stephen (Mae) and Robert (Lori), his daughter Valerie DeLapp, and two grandchildren, Alexander and Sophie. His sons Terry and John pre-deceased him.