Thomas A. McGlynn

Bent Pine

Thomas Arnold McGlynn was born in San Francisco, CA on March 29, 1878.

As a youth McGlynn was active with the Columbia Park Boys Club (a precursor of Boy Scouts) for which he contributed artwork and served as editor for their first magazine.

At about 13 an accident crushed his back making him dependent on crutches and canes for the rest of his life; however, he never allowed them to interfere with his art career.

In 1899 he entered the local School of Design and studied there for many years on scholarships. At that school Arthur Mathews became his mentor and later appointed him chief designer for Mathews' Furniture Shop from 1906-18.

He taught for 27 years in the San Francisco school system and for a short time at UC Berkeley before building a home and studio in Pebble Beach in 1938.

He died there on June 21, 1966.

McGlynn painted luminist landscapes of the Pacific coast from Canada to Mexico. Member: Carmel AA (pres., 1951-52); San Francisco Art Association; Bay Region AA; Society of Western Artists; American Artists Professional League; American Federation of Arts; Society for Sanity in Art; Santa Cruz Art League. Exh: LA Liberty Fair, 1918 (award); Calif. State Fair, 1924, 1939-40; San Francisco Art Association annuals; Santa Cruz Art League, 1929-57 (awards); Monterey Co. Fair, 1931-40; Carmel AA, 1934, 1949 (solo), 1962 (solo), 1966 (solo); Oakland Art Gallery, 1936-49; Society for Sanity in Art, 1938-46; Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939-40; Santa Cruz Co. Fair, 1940, 1955 (1st prizes); American Artists Professional League, 1941-46; Art in Nat'l Defense, 1943 (award); California Palace of the Legion of Honor, 1945; Society of Western Artist, 1948-60; Carmel Museum, 1969; Triton Museum (Santa Clara), 1970 (solo); Monterey Peninsula Museum, 1979 (solo); San Mateo Co. Hist. Society, 1982; Ventura Co. Hist. Museum, 1984, 1985. Works held in public places: Monterey Peninsula Museum; Monterey Community Hospital; Oakland Museum.

Source: Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940" Interview with the artist or his/her family; Plein Air Painters (Ruth Westphal); American Art Annual 1917; Who's Who in American Art 1938-41.