James Kirk

What can I say that hasn't already been said about Mr. Kirk . . . he was a mentor, a teacher, and one that always pushed you beyond limits you never knew you owned. One minute he was praising you and the next he was demanding that you weren't working hard enough. You never knew what to expect him to say when you passed each other in Campbell Hall, but you could always expect a shared greeting and a smile as he always walked 'with purpose' onto his next mission. So what made me think of...

We think of Mr. Kirk when we sit in the room in which we are writing this email, and we gaze at the 2 portraits he did of the two of us. We cherish them as we do of our fond memories of the artist. Carolyn Tomei and Gary Michael

Mr. Kirk, as I always called him , was a close family friend, and the Best College professor I had! A few years ago he helped me find a great telephoto lens for my Nikon. He inspired so many artists to reach their full potential . Photography is still one of my greatest joys! All his students (if they were wise) trusted his extensive knowledge of Art. His teaching style was easy going and relaxed, no pressure, thankfully. As an exercise He encouraged us to take the most unflattering...

James Kirk was a favorite art instructor of mine in the 1970’s at OCE and I was very saddened when I learned of his death today. He was a beautiful artist and had a beautiful soul. I treasure the one watercolor I have of his and it always floods my heart with memories as I pass it (today my heart is drowning). He will surely be missed by all who ever knew him!

"James Kirk, not of the Enterprise"!
It is not an overstatement that because of this wonderful man I made it through college as an athlete/art major! He was always supportive and encouraging. And a good friend and mentor for the 40 years since! He would always ask me "How's my favorite student?" If I said "Fine" he'd say "How do YOU know?" lol!
I have a small collection of his art that I bought from him directly from his studio.... he was having a " Going out of art" sale!

I’m so sorry for your loss Alice, Tish and I are so blessed to have had James in our life as a teacher and friend. We will hang on to the memories forever. Dorothy

My name is Mary Reed and Mr. Kirk was both my advisor and art teacher during the three years I studied at OCE in the late 1970s. I can't even begin to articulate the large impact he had on my learning and love of art! He guided and nurtured his drawing and photography students in an enthusiastic and often funny way. I still follow and believe in what he taught, that most of creating art is learning how to see: he helped me to do that and I will always be grateful for that. I am sorry to hear...

Dear Alice, So sorry to hear about your loss. Sending my warm regards at this difficult time.

I will miss James. I used to visit with him as a former faculty member of WOU to solicit donations in support of the college. We used to reminisce together about our times in West Los Angeles. I loved his watercolor nudes, but bought one of birch trees as my name translates to birch. I used to see him on his large tricycle at the Monmouth Post Office.