About Thomas George
Thomas George (1918-2014) was an internationally recognized artist whose work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the National Gallery of American Art, the Tate Gallery, and many other museums and major collections in the United States and abroad.
A Dartmouth graduate, Tom studied in New York, Paris and Florence. He had his first one-man exhibition in New York in 1951 followed by more than 50 one-man exhibitions in the United States and abroad. From 1959 -1981 he was represented by the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York City.
Tom was a resident of Princeton, N.J. However, always seeking new inspiration for his work, he travelled extensively with his family throughout Europe and the Orient. He found particular inspiration in the dramatic landscapes of Japan, China and, especially, Norway where he maintained a home and worked every summer for over 30 years.
”Mountains and sea and sky are my subject matter. If you do enough of it,
you don’t need to be out there looking at the scene, but inside seeing it …
If I listen to my subject, it will tell me how to work.”
Thomas George
The Thomas George
Artists' Fund
Thomas George was an internationally recognized artist with works in major museums, universities, corporations and private collections worldwide. He donated most of his paintings and drawings to the Princeton Community Foundation, where he set up the Thomas George Artists' Fund to assist young artists at the outset of their careers.
Tom counted himself fortunate for having received financial support early on, through the G.I. Bill and from his family, to study and practice his art. “I wanted to help ease financial pressure and provide an opportunity for young artists to concentrate on their craft, to experience it as a full-time occupation."
Each year the Thomas George Artists' Fund gives an artist the financial freedom to focus on drawing and painting for a limited period. “It’s a respite from the demands of school and workplace. The grants provide a time for reflection and planning, and above all an opportunity to do art."
Thomas George with Artists'
Fund Award Recipient
"When I was young, I was helped by others, including my parents. I had my career and I wanted to help young people with their careers in art."
- Thomas George
Summary
New Jersey Network (NJN) & State of The Arts features Thomas George
Abstract artist Thomas George gives State of the Arts producer Susan Wallner a tour of his 2005 retrospective at the Princeton University Art Museum, and speaks of his development as an artist over more than 60 years. The Princeton, New Jersey based artist is drawn to the dramatic landscapes of Norway, China, and New Mexico, as well as the more subdued beauty of his own Princeton neighborhood.