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1943 - 2023

BORN

1943

DIED

2023

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Larry Thomas Obituary

Larry Thomas
October 29, 1943 - January 6, 2023
Larry Thomas, prominent Bay Area artist, teacher, and longtime academic dean of the San Francisco Art Institute, died on January 6, 2023, in Fort Bragg, CA. He was 79 years old.
Larry was born in Memphis, TN. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Memphis College of Art and his Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute, where he also taught printmaking. Larry's drawings, paintings, and prints were represented in solo and group shows at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C. His work is part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Houghton Library at Harvard University, Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, and Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, among others. Larry's many awards include two National Endowment for the Arts Individual Fellowships, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art SECA Award, and scholar-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome.
From 1994 to 2005, Larry was Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs at the San Francisco Art Institute, and interim President from 2002 to 2004. After retiring, he moved to Fort Bragg, CA, where he continued to print, draw, and paint, and pursue his longtime interest in calligraphy. His calligraphy was represented in the 16th Triennial Exhibition of Kalligraphia at the San Francisco Public Library in 2022.
A celebration of Larry's life will be held in the spring. Contributions in his memory may be made to a cultural organization of the donor's choice.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on Jan. 10, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Larry Thomas

13 Entries

Thad DeGroot

May 30, 2024

Larry was a friend and a great sounding board to me as a young man in my early days in Retail.
I dined on tables painted by him and enjoyed his art in several important Bay Area homes..He was the kindest guy on earth with no prejudices.

Don Lee

June 25, 2023

Great memories of a most accomplished great person and friend while at the Memphis Academy of Art.

Lynn Learned

June 17, 2023

I met Larry Thomas in the mid 1970's when we both enrolled in the MFA program at the San Francisco Art Institute. We were friends and neighbors in San Francisco and Mendocino. Larry was a very special person, always kind and generous, but more then that, he was extremely talented in any area of the arts he choose to pursue; drawings, prints, paintings, banners and calligraphy. He was very in touch with the natural world around him and expressed that so beautifully in his field paintings. And if all that talent wasn't enough, he was a fantastic cook and gardener too. He wii be missed.

Lydia Saltzman

May 24, 2023

I am an old friend from The Memphis Acad.. I am so sad to hear of his passing. I knew him when he himself was a sweet, skinny student with great talent! I actually have a painting he gave me back in 1960something. I hope to meet up with him in the next life.

Frances McCormack

January 16, 2023

Larry was a dear friend and a wonderful artist. He held SFAI together during one of its many difficult periods when he would have much preferred to be in his studio.
He was generous and compassionate and he will be missed.

Ginny Stearns

Planted Trees

Ginny Stearns

January 12, 2023

Larry was a man truly dedicated to his art. I was inspired by his wonderful ability to bring his love of nature alive in his exquisite paintings, drawings and prints. His passing is a huge loss to the artists and friends who were lucky enough to have known him. Thank you Larry.

Linda Turner

January 11, 2023

Paul Klein

January 11, 2023

Larry´s sensitivity and his rare ability to engage and work with students, faculty, staff, curators, and donors made him an invaluable presence at SFAI.

Larry was an indefatigable and uniquely creative artist; his work was sustained by a keen curiosity and a love of reading and words. His friends will miss him, and artists have lost a dear colleague.

Cid Young

January 11, 2023

Larry´s influence and guidance was instrumental at the San Francisco Art Institute, and represents another loss to the Arts Community. The news came as other very disheartening losses to California are being reported during the storms that are affecting many west coast communities. May Larry´s spirit lift others´ despite this great loss.

Erica Fielder

January 11, 2023

Larry mentored me as I went for my MFA in Visual Art at Vermont College. He was on the Board of Sitka Center for Art and Ecology and was instrumental in helping me get a three-month residency at the Center. Later, he helped me get a residency at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. His efforts have continued to be of great value in boosting my career through the years. I am humbled by your generosity, Larry, and am deeply grateful for your vision. May your legacy live on and on.

Randall Koch

January 11, 2023

Larry Thomas was not only an exquisite artist, he was a beautiful soul who was powerful in his gentle manner and thoughtful in his words, actions and artistic manifestations.

Mary Helsaple

January 10, 2023

It was a single brief encounter, but, I distinctly remember our paths crossed late in the afternoon at Sitka parking area. I stood gazing up in wonder, and I commented on the magnificent whispering Sitka Pines. He stopped and smiled and said, "Yes it is like no other place". His face showed he was right where he wanted to be. I knew I had to come back. Sincere condolences on the loss of this icon.

Showing 1 - 13 of 13 results