Biography Chester Elmore Born in San Francisco. California
Statement
Art has always been a part of my life. I was fortunate enough to have been born in San Francisco, which has always been a cultural beacon for art in general but for African American Artists in particular. The social conditions of my neighborhood (Haight Ashbury) as well as the rest of the country at that time, allowed for voices to be heard that had heretofore been muted. I was born into a Family that contained two formally trained working artists (my uncles). From an early age I made enough of a pest of my self that it became impossible for either of them to ignore my desire to learn from them. I began to imitate their works and eventually refine technique by critique and impromptu lessons. At that time there were few venues that would exhibit the work of African American Artists on par with their white counterparts. To counter this fact many of the African American Artists formed a collective to create their own venue, (The Black Mans Art Gallery). Through my mentors I was able to meet many of the artists. It was at about this time that I discovered the studio of Eugene White a block and a half from my home. As a working artist, he took great interest in the neighborhood children and ran an informal art program for them. He taught us the connection of art to the community and the social obligation of the artist as a catalyst for change. As a child and adolescent I took advantage of the many free public programs for youth in San Francisco. One that was most helpful was the one offered by the DeYoung Museum where students were provided with materials and instruction and also allowed access to their collection spending many hours copying the masterworks. At age thirteen I received a scholarship to the San Francisco Academy of Art. I attended class in the evenings and weekends while attending Roosevelt Junior High School. I worked in the graphic design shop and the Fine Arts Department. This was a turning point in my life as I was told emphatically: that there was no place for art depicting black people; that there was no classical standard for African Art; and that there would be no professional career for Black Artists. This was the challenge that drives my work today. I joined the San Francisco Police Department in 1978. I was nominated by the department to attend the FBI Police Art Course. There were twelve slots open and 30,000 applications for the course. At the time a total of 220 people had graduated the course. I passed and began work as a regional artist. I did composite drawings from interviews, Forensic reconstruction of skeletal remains, photo retouch, and model making for courtroom use. I worked with Time Life and the Smithsonian to identify the mummified remains of a cowboy found in a traveling carnival.. I retired from the department in 1988. I began drawing again in 1998 when I discovered scratchboard.
Resume
DeYoung Museum Summer Youth Program San Francisco Boys Club Ernest Ingold branch Arts and Craft Shop Apprenticeships: Eugene White, Matego (Irving Cobbs), and Walter Cobbs. Scholarship: 1967 Academy of Art San Francisco FBI Academy Police Artists Course, Quantico, VA
Shows and Competitions
Pasadena Convention Center 1972 Winner Maritime Art exhibition San Francisco 1973 Gaylords Restaurant, Fishermens Warf San Francisco 1973 Casaj Art Gallery, Oakland CA. 1999-2004 A.R.T. Inc. Members Only Exhibition Merit Award 2004 The Art of Living Black Exhibit 2004 Richmond Art Center Richmond, CA The San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society Gallery, 2004 Tilford Art Group Los Angeles, California, Aug 27 thru Sep 24, 2004
