Gary Gist (1939- )
   Born in Oklahoma, Gary grew up surrounded by Indian culture. His Oklahoma grandmother was a teacher at the Commanchee County Indian School at Fort Sill and was a collector of Native American decorative art. Gary spent his summers camping with Cherokee, Cree and Choctaw boys on the Oklahoma prairie. At fourteen he received a scholarship to the summer arts program at the University of Kansas where he studied American Indian textiles.
   Gary showed such an early talent for art that his grandmother in California brought him to the West Coast immediately after World War II and sent him to study with Vladimir Tytla, who was then with the Walt Disney Studios. After receiving numerous youth art awards, he began his collegiate art training at the School of Art at the University of Oklahoma. Scholarships enabled him to complete his BA in Art Education at The Maryland Institute of Art. Following graduation he designed sets for stage productions, including "The Women" and operas, including "Aida." With the advent of color television in the early '60’s NBC hired Gary as a creative consultant in scenic design.
   Feeling the need to further his fine arts education, Gary applied for and received a Rockefeller Grant, using the money to study at The American Academy in Paris, where he received a diploma in Decorative Arts in 1965. Upon returning from Europe he began his painting career in earnest and his oils (and watercolors) are now in collections worldwide. In the 35 years involved Gary estimates that he has painted well over 500 major oil paintings and numerous sketches. He has recently developed a great interest in Southwestern Art and the styles of the Taos Masters and has returned to the brighter palette of his early career. He currently resides and paints full time in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work can also be seen at The Artery, 211 N. Main Street, Fallbrook, California.

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