Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Oral History of Tom Killion |
Collection |
Oral History |
Scope & Content |
In this oral history, renowned artist, writer and historian Tom Killion recounts his upbringing in Mill Valley and how it shaped his artistic development. Born in 1953, Tom recalls having had an early talent for drawing that was inspired by Mount Tam, encouraged by his parents and nurtured by the local artistic and cultural community. Tom recalls attending Tamalpais High School in the 1960s, which "felt like the center of the universe" on account of the vibrant music scene that had migrated over from San Francisco. Tom describes his long-time relationship with Mill Valley's Fall Arts Festival, a relationship that began when he first sold some of his art there as a high school student. After graduating from Tam High, Tom attended college at U.C. Santa Cruz where he learned, among other things, print- and bookmaking, which culminated in his first handmade book, 28 Views of Mount Tamalpais, inspired by the Japanese artist Hokusai. With money from the sales of that book Tom traveled for 15 months across Europe and Africa, which later led him to pursue graduate study in African history at Stanford. Throughout this oral history, Tom emphasizes the natural beauty of Mill Valley, Marin County and the greater region that has continued to provide him with inspiration over his long career as an artist. |
Audio and Transcript |
Click here to hear recording. Click here to read the transcript. |
Dates of Creation |
2016-07-19 |
Interviewee |
Killion, Tom |
Interviewer |
Schwartz, Debra |
Extent and Medium |
Transcript: 32pp Recording: 02:04:05 |
Search Terms |
Ancestors Art Art - Mill Valley Art exhibitions Art festivals Artists Bookbinding Dimitroff’s Art Store History Lion's Club Mill Valley Art Fair Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival Mt. Tamalpais Music Music stores MV history - Baby boom years (1950s and early 1960s) Oral history - Visual, performing, literary arts Pearl Harbor Printing presses Tamalpais High School Village Music World War II |
Object ID |
2016.081.001 |
Object Name |
Recording |
Copyrights |
Transcript and recording copyright Mill Valley Public Library, 2016. Materials are made available for research purposes only; all rights are reserved to the Mill Valley Public Library. Requests for permission to quote for publication or for any other usage must be obtained from the Library. |