American fine artist, printmaker, African historian and author
Tom Killion (born 1953) is an American artist, author, African historian and educator. He is internationally known for printmaking
linocut ,
woodcut and
letterpress techniques.
[1] The subject matter of his artwork is often the landscapes of Northern California. His art studio is in
Inverness Ridge , on the
Point Reyes Peninsula in
Marin County ,
California .
[2] Three of his books were co-authored by the
Pulitzer Prize -winning
Beat poet
Gary Snyder . Killion has taught African history classes at
Bowdoin College ,
University of Asmara and
San Francisco State University .
Biography
Killion was born in 1953 in
Mill Valley , California, and has two siblings, a brother Paul and a sister, journalist
Ann Killion .
[3] He attended
Tamalpais High School .
[4]
[5] Killion graduated from
University of California, Santa Cruz in 1975 from
Cowell College in History.
[2] He has a
Master of Arts degree from 1980 and a
Doctorate degree from 1985, from
Stanford University in
African History , with his dissertation on the Ethiopian/Eritrean labor movement.
[2]
[6]
[7] From 1990 to 1995, Killion taught African History at
Bowdoin College . Between 1993 and 1994 he was a
Fulbright Professor at
University of Asmara in
Eritrea .
[7]
[8] And in 1995 to 2001 he was a guest lecturer at
San Francisco State University (SFSU) in the Humanities Department.
[7]
While attending University of California, Santa Cruz, Killion learned printmaking and bookbinding from
Jack Stauffacher in 1975.
[5] In the same year 1975, he created his first printed book of landscapes, 28 Views of Mount Tamalpais .
[9] By 1977 he founded his own Quail Press.
[8] His printmaking is inspired by
Japanese woodblock printing but it is different in technique, because he uses oil-based inks,
linoleum block and a printing press.
[10]
Killion was featured on the
PBS television series
Craft in America , episode "Process" airing October 7, 2009, also featuring
92nd Street Y ,
Kansas City Art Institute ,
North Bennet Street School ,
Julie Chen and others.
[11]
Awards
2017 – Marin Cultural Treasure Award, Cultural Commission of Marin County, California
[12]
2016 –
Commonwealth Club’s 85th Annual, California Book Awards for California’s Wild Edge
[13]
2016 – 35th Annual Northern California Book Reviewers, Recognition Award for California’s Wild Edge
[14]
Bibliography
California's Wild Edge co-authored with
Gary Snyder .
Heyday Books , 2015.
ISBN
978-1597142991
Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints co-authored with Gary Snyder.
Heyday Books , 2013.
ISBN
978-1597142595
The High Sierra of California co-authored with Gary Snyder. Heyday Books, 2005.
ISBN
978-1890771997
The Coast of California . Quail Press, 1999.
ISBN
978-0966616705
Historical Dictionary of Eritrea . co-authored with Dan Connell,
Scarecrow Press , 1998.
ISBN
9780810875050
The California Coast .
David R Godine Publisher , 1988.
ISBN
978-0879237677
Fortress Marin .
Presidio Press , 1979.
ISBN
978-0891410836
References
^
"Woodcut Artist Tom Killion Captures the Magic of the California Coast" . 7x7 Bay Area Magazine . May 1, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
a
b
c
"Tom Killion: A life in color" . UC Santa Cruz News . Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
"9 Questions for Ann Killion" . Marin Magazine . January 1, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
"California's Wild Edge; Prints by Tom Killion" . Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History . January 5, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
a
b
"Oral History of Tom Killion" . Mill Valley Library, Archive Record . Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
"Treasured Landscape Artist Honored" . Stanford Alumni Magazine . Stanford Alumni Association. May 1, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
a
b
c
"Register of the Tom Killion papers, Hoover Institution Archives" .
Online Archive of California , California Digital Library . 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
a
b
"Topic: Justice: Retribution Or Restitution? | Arts Interview: Tom Killion" . It's A Question of Balance with Ruth Copland . July 12, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^ Killion, Tom (1975). 28 views of Mount Tamalpais: sky, earth, sea . Mill Valley, Calif.: Killion.
OCLC
2318565 .
^
Juxtapoz Presents: Tom Killion's Woodcut Printmaking (video), Juxtapoz magazine, July 15, 2015, retrieved June 18, 2018
^
"Episode: PROCESS" . Craft in America . Retrieved June 19, 2018 .
^
"MV Native Tom Killion Garners County's 2017 Marin Cultural Treasure Award" . Enjoy Mill Valley Magazine . Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
"85th Annual California Book Awards" . Heyday . May 12, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
^
"35th Annual Northern California Book Awards" . Heyday . April 8, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2018 .
External links
International National Other