Today is Jim McCormick’s birthday. The long-revered artist, UNR art professor, and founding member of the Nevada Arts Council was born in Chicago in 1936 and died in Reno in 2017. Jim’s daughter-in-law, Quest Lakes, shared some photos of his 2013 exhibition “All Terrain Vehicles” at Western Nevada College. His son Theo McCormick shot the photos.
I remember Jim as a warm and encouraging person who made it his mission to welcome people—myself included—into the art world. He was a mentor to generations of Northern Nevada artists. (Here’s a remembrance I wrote for the Reno News & Review in 2017.)
Jim McCormick’s art lives on. He was a friend and mentor to more than just his students at the university. He was a great supporter of the arts organizations in the area. I met him when he volunteered to sit for the Reno Portrait Society. He Gave a memorable demonstration for the Latimer Art Club. He was a supporter of the Artists Co-op Gallery of Reno, and long-time friend of its members. The estate of Jim McCormick is offering several pieces of his work for sale at the Co-op in the Heritage Art Collection, (627 Mill Street, Reno). Be sure to ask about these pieces once the gallery re-opens.
Jim McCormick’s creative artworks, his support for the area arts and his warm smiles will always be remembered.