Delmer J. Yoakum
Template:Linkless-date Delmer J. Yoakum (1915-1996) was an American artist.
Early life
Del Yoakum was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. He studied at the Kansas City Art Institute, Jepson Institute and University of Southern California.
Professional life
His occupation was that of a Painter - Designer - Motion Picture Artist (21 years). Among his many accomplishments during his long career, he painted the Grand Canyon and Primeval World Dioramic Scenery (viewable from the train of Disneyland Railroad), portions of Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World at Disneyland.
He also painted scenery for movies like "The Shoes of the Fisherman" for which he recreated the Vatican interiors (MGM Studios). He created the city of Jerusalem for "The Robe" (which won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Art Direction–Set Decoration, Color), after which he created a fantastic 600 foot cyclorama that backed the safari camp set of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Other films he created Dioramic scenes for included Billy Wilder's "Some Like it Hot", "The King and I (1956 film)", "Niagara (1953 film)", Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" (the Mount Rushmore scene) and many others.
During his term at 20th Century Fox, he worked on every one of the Marilyn Monroe pictures. He also painted a portrait of Elvis Presley, for one of the singers films while at 20th Century Fox. That portrait (like much of his movie studio work), is missing. It is suspected to be hanging at Graceland, but that has not been confirmed.
Personal life
Del was married to his wife Barbara Yoakum for 50 years. He has three children, Robert, Bob and Cathleen. He lived in Sedona, Arizona for many years.
Publications
- Who's Who in American Art
- Who's Who in the West
- American Artist Magazine
- Newport Magazine Cover
- The Illustrator (Magazine)
- Dictionary of International Biography
- Art News Magazine
- "Landscapes" (Book), Davis Publications, Inc., 1977
- Arizona Highways (Magazine), 1981
- Road Runner (Book Cover), 1985
- American Artist (Book), 1985
- The California Style (Book), 1985
Memberships
- National Watercolor Society (Past President and Honorary Life Member)
- Inglewood Art League (Honorary Life Member)
- Artist Equity Board Member (1951 through 1955)
- National Society of Literature and the Arts
- Sedona Art Center, Sedona, Arizona
Awards
- National GI Exhibit, - Grand Prize - 1948 - Santa Monica, CA
- Adahl Hyde Morrison Silver Medal 2nd Award -Oakland, CA
- Frye Museum - Edouvard Manet Award - 1958 - Seattle, WA
- Santa Monica Arts, Ass'n - 1st Prize - 1948 & 1949 - Santa Monica, CA
- Hawthorne Methodist Church - Grand Award - Hawthorne, CA
- Deluca Award, Las Vegas, NV
- Inglewood Art League - 1st Award - Inglewood, CA
- California State Faie - Honorable Mention Award
- Riverside Art Ass'n - 3rd Award - 1966 - Riverside, CA
- Downey Museum of Art - Honorable Mention Award - 1969
- City of Avalon Best of Show - 1967 - Avalon, CA
- John Marin Memorial Award - Watercolor USA - 1971
- St. Raymonds - 1st Prize - 1971 - Thousand Oaks, CA
- Hawthorne Art Festival - 2nd Award - 1971 - Hawthorne, CA
- Arches Paper Award - National Watercolor Society - 1971
- Inglewood Art League - 1st Award - 1970 - Inglewood, CA
- Hawthorne Art Festival - 1st Award - 1970 - Hawthorne, CA
- San Bernadino Art Ass'n - 2nd Award - San Bernadino, CA
- Catalina Art Ass'n - Honorable Mention Award - 1967
- Catalina Art Ass'n - 3rd Award - 1968
- California State Fair - Honorable Mention Award - 1966 - Sacramento, CA
- Frye Museum - Honorable Mention Award - 1963 - Seattle, WA
- Inglewood Art League - Best of Show - 1969
- Arizona State Fair - Honorable Mention Award - 1973
- Arizona State Fair - Cash Award - 1974
- Arizona State Fair - Public Appeal Award - 1980
- Arizona State Fair - 1st Place Cash Award - 1984
- Arizona State Fair - Honorable Mention Award (WC) - 1986
- Coconino County Fair - 1st Prize - 1973 and 1974
- Laguna Beach Museum of Art Award - National Watercolor Society - 1975
- Jerome Art Center - 1st Prize WC - 1985
- Best of Show - WC - 1985 - Winslow, AZ
- 1st Place - Oil - 1985 - Winslow, AZ
- 1st Place - WC - 1985 - Winslow, AZ
- Honorable Mention Award - Oil - Winslow, AZ
(WC = Water Color)
Permanent collections
- Butler Institute of American Art, Oil
- San Diego Art Museum, Watercolor
- National Watercolor Society, purchase, Motion Picture Art Director
- Newport High School
- Las Vegas art Association, Nevada Power and Electric
- Glendale Federal Savings and Loan, Glendale, Ca
- Brussels, Belgium, Page J. Thibodeaux
- Washburn School
- Coventry Cathedral, Coventry England, Oil
- Many Private Collections
Exhibited
- Los Angeles Museum 1947-1950, 1952, 1954-1955, 1957 and 1958
- Denver Museum 1953, 1954, and 1960
- Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1957, 1969, and 1970
- The Butler Institute of American Art 1953, 1955, 1957-1959, 1964, 1967-1971, 1975-1978, 1980-1985
- Oakland Art Museum 1949, 1950, 1952, 1957, 1966, and 1967
- San Diego Art Museum 1954
- Watercolor USA 1966, 1968-1973, and 1975
- University of Washington 1954
- Hawthorne Art Festival 1967-1969, and 1971
- National Watercolor Society 1954, 1956-1976, 1980, 1982-1985
- DeYoung Museum 1962
- Los Angeles Art Association 1946, 1949, 1951, and 1953
- Frye Museum 1958, 1959, 1961-1965
- Newport High School 1953-1957, 1959-1961
- American Artist Galleries 1949
- National Orange Show 1947, 1949, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1966, and 1967
- Arizona State Fair 1948, 1973-1977, 1980-1986
- John Ringling Museum 1959 and 1960
- Long Beach Museum 1959, 1960, and 1962
- San Francisco Art Association 1959
- Dulin Gallery of Art 1964
- Virginia Museum 1958 and 1962
- Las Vegas Art Association 1959, 1963, 1965, and 1968
- Pasadena Museum 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, and 1961
- Palos Verdes Art Gallery 1958 and 1969
- Henry Gallery 1954
- Richmond Art Gallery 1958-1969, and 1963
- Pacific Art Festival 1949
- California Palace Legion of Honor 1955-1957, 1959, and 1961
- Wichita Kansas Centennial 1970
- St. Raymonds, Thousand Oaks, California 1970
- Tucson Art Museum 1964
- Los Angeles Miracle Mile 1965, 1966-1968
- Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery 1946-1948, and 1950
- California State Fair 1951, 1955-1958, 1962, 1966, 1968, and 1970
- Inglewood Art League 1961-1969
- Riverside Art Association 1966 and 1971
- Riverside National Date Festival Exhibit 1966
- Santa Monica Art Association 1949 and 1958
- Downey Museum of Art 1969
- Los Angeles City Art Festival 1965-1971
- Catalina Art Association 1966-1971
- Cerritos College 1967
- La Mirada Art Association 1967 and 1968
- Laguna Beach Art Show 1969
- Los Angeles Home Show 1967 and 1978
- Mainstreams (Marietta, Ohio) 1968
- Glendale Fine Arts Center (Glendale AZ) 1984 and 1985
- Sedona Arts Center (Sedona AZ) 1981 and 1986
- Winslow, AZ 1985 and 1986
- Jerome Art Center (Jerome AZ) 1986
- Santa Paula 1958, 1961-1963, 1967, 1968, and 1970