Thomas Yamamoto
Encyclopedia
Thomas Yamamoto was an American
artist.
Born in Alameda, California
, Thomas Yamamoto majored in art at UC Berkeley. His instructors included John Haley and Erle Loran, who worked with Hans Hoffman. To some degree they influenced his future work.
In the 1930s, Tom was active in the art scene of the San Francisco Bay area
until the Pearl Harbor
incident. He was interned
first at the Assembly Center in San Francisco, and was later moved to the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. While there, he contributed work to the camp magazine, Trek. He was released early due to the sponsorship of Takashi Ota, an artist who housed him in his West Village home in New York City
. While in New York City, Tom and other Japanese American artists formed the anti-fascist group Japanese Americans for Democracy.
In 1947, Tom returned to San Francisco, where he met Jane Emily Pitkin, daughter of nationally recognized educator Royce Stanley "Tim" Pitkin who brought Goddard College
to prominence as an innovative school in alternative education. Because of California's anti-miscegenation laws
, Tom and Jane were married in New York City. They then traveled extensively, living at times in different countries, and Tom continually practiced his art. From 1960 to 1971 they lived in Marshfield, Vermont where they raised three children. While in Marshfield, Thomas taught art at Goddard College
in Plainfield, Vermont
.
After Vermont, they lived in Spain
, American Samoa
, and then 24 years in Honolulu, Hawaii
before returning to central Vermont
shortly before Tom's death in 2004.
In 1976, in honor of the American Bicentennial, the town of Marshfield commissioned Tom to do a series of paintings of historical Marshfield. These paintings are still (in 2010) on view in the town's offices in the Old Schoolhouse Commons.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist.
Born in Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, Thomas Yamamoto majored in art at UC Berkeley. His instructors included John Haley and Erle Loran, who worked with Hans Hoffman. To some degree they influenced his future work.
In the 1930s, Tom was active in the art scene of the San Francisco Bay area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
until the Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
incident. He was interned
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
first at the Assembly Center in San Francisco, and was later moved to the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. While there, he contributed work to the camp magazine, Trek. He was released early due to the sponsorship of Takashi Ota, an artist who housed him in his West Village home in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. While in New York City, Tom and other Japanese American artists formed the anti-fascist group Japanese Americans for Democracy.
In 1947, Tom returned to San Francisco, where he met Jane Emily Pitkin, daughter of nationally recognized educator Royce Stanley "Tim" Pitkin who brought Goddard College
Goddard College
Goddard College is a private, liberal arts college located in Plainfield, Vermont, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Goddard College currently operates on an intensive low-residency model...
to prominence as an innovative school in alternative education. Because of California's anti-miscegenation laws
Anti-miscegenation laws
Anti-miscegenation laws, also known as miscegenation laws, were laws that enforced racial segregation at the level of marriage and intimate relationships by criminalizing interracial marriage and sometimes also sex between members of different races...
, Tom and Jane were married in New York City. They then traveled extensively, living at times in different countries, and Tom continually practiced his art. From 1960 to 1971 they lived in Marshfield, Vermont where they raised three children. While in Marshfield, Thomas taught art at Goddard College
Goddard College
Goddard College is a private, liberal arts college located in Plainfield, Vermont, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Goddard College currently operates on an intensive low-residency model...
in Plainfield, Vermont
Plainfield, Vermont
Plainfield is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,286 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainfield is located at ....
.
After Vermont, they lived in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, and then 24 years in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
before returning to central Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
shortly before Tom's death in 2004.
In 1976, in honor of the American Bicentennial, the town of Marshfield commissioned Tom to do a series of paintings of historical Marshfield. These paintings are still (in 2010) on view in the town's offices in the Old Schoolhouse Commons.