El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection - El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection

"Tradition"

Jerry Thomas has revealed his newest work of art, "Tradition".  The bronze sculpture is perched on its pedestal on the South side of the Scott Community Field House at Darner Field.  Commissioned by Rod and Kathy Haxton, in memory of Ryan Haxton, the statue represents the tradition of Scott Community High School Football, which has deep roots in the community.  The unveiling was held on 14 September 2012.  The Board of Directors and membership of the Scott County Historical Society congratulate Jerry Thomas on this singular achievement.

Thomas Inducted

SC Fine Arts Hall of Fame to Induct Three New Members

Winfield, Kan., April 16, 2012 — The Southwestern College Fine Arts Hall of Fame will induct three new members on Saturday, April 21. The ceremony will begin in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center lobby, with induction to be held in Messenger Auditorium.

The celebration will begin with a reception and the unveiling of plaques at 10 a.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 10:30 a.m.

Inductees include:

• James Strand was on the faculty of Southwestern College from 1961 until his retirement in 2000. With degrees in organ performance from the University of Redlands, he earned his DMA from the University of Oklahoma. At Southwestern he taught organ, harpsichord, music theory, and music history; directed the bell choir; and chaired the division of fine arts for several years. An active participant in Jan Term, he also taught students how to build harpsichords. Strand received the Student Council Citation for excellence in teaching. He was an active soloist, performing organ, harpsichord, and clavichord concerts under the sponsorship of the Kansas Arts Commission and the Mid-America arts Alliance touring Program, and recitals in London and Holland during a sabbatical.
• Jerry D. Thomas ’81 graduated from Southwestern College with a business degree, but became a full-time artist in 1986. The wildlife, trails, and history of the West are an important inspiration for his artwork, and his attention to detail and endless research have become a hallmark of his realistic images. He has twice designed the Kansas Wildlife Habitat Award and has been named Kansas Wildlife Artist of the Year twice. Thomas has dedicated himself to the preservation of our natural and historic heritage and has generated funding for habitat restoration in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The newly established Western Vistas Historic Byway features his designs along its 102-mile historic route.
• Orcenith Smith studied voice at Friends University and opera performance at Juilliard, then began his opera career in 1940 with the Julliard Opera Company. He later sang with the New England Opera Company and with many American symphonies. Smith earned a degree from Trinity College of Music in London, a master’s degree from Columbia Teachers College, and a doctor of sacred music degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship. He taught at Southwestern College from 1947 to 1953, always singing a major role in “Elijah” and directing the Purple Robed Choir. He later taught at the University of Oklahoma and Wittenburg University. Dr. Smith died Sept. 18, 1986.

The induction ceremony is a part of Founders Day Weekend at Southwestern Friday through Sunday, April 20-22. Four Southwestern College halls of fame will open their doors to new inductees, and the newly-refurbished Reuter Organ will be dedicated.

For more information, contact Susan Lowe, director of alumni programs, at (620) 229-6334.

Southwestern College is a private institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. About 1,700 students attend classes at the main Winfield campus, at five professional studies sites in Kansas and Oklahoma, or online around the world.

Feature Articles on Jerry Thomas

The Wichita Eagle has a recent article on Jerry Thomas:  The Art of Outdoors     

Kansas.com:  Wildlife Artist Jerry Thomas

The Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection has recently reopened after an expansion of the exhibits and storage room. The Scott County Record featured Jerry's newly acquired artifacts in the March 1, 2012 issue.

Gallery Reopens with Expanded Collection

The Grand Opening of the gallery in May of 2010 is the focus of the following two articles. 

Big Dreams

Artist's Vision

Jerry Thomas

Renowned artist, Jerry D. Thomas, graduated from Scott Community High School in 1977. He received his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration/Management from Southwestern   College in 1981 and worked towards a Masters Degree in Architecture, Community Planning, and Development from Kansas State University. In 1986, Jerry became a full-time artist with encouragement from a group of businessmen and women that formed a partnership to market Jerry's artwork in the U.S. and abroad.

Jerry was drawn at an early age to the nostalgia and excitement of the Wild West and its natural surroundings. The wildlife, trails, and history of the West became an important inspiration for Jerry and his artwork. His attention to detail and countless hours of research have become a hallmark of his realistic images, which are displayed in many private and corporate collections worldwide.

Jerry began publishing his work in 1989, and since has garnered many accomplishments. His list of credits include twice designing the Kansas Wildlife Habitat Award, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Corporate Stewardship Award, the Kansas Governor's Turkey Hunt "Artist of the Year" (following his colleague and mentor, artist Wayne Willis), and the Inaugural Kansas Governor's Ringneck Classic "Artist of the Year". Other honors include being named Kansas Ducks Unlimited Sponsor Artist, National Ducks Unlimited Guest Artist, and Waterfowl U.S.A. Golden Waterfowler Artist, where two of Jerry's famous images were engraved on Browning Arms limited edition guns. Jerry designed the 1992 and 1996 "Tenth Anniversary" Kansas Duck Stamp and has been named Kansas Wildlife Artist of the Year twice, along with being named Waterfowl U.S.A. Celebrity Hunt Artist, Pheasants Forever Artist of the Year, and the Nebraska One Box Association Artist of the Year. His commissions include work for the United States Cavalry Museum, the Little Bighorn Associates, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Historic Fort Hays, Fort Larned Old Guard, Coach Bill Snyder and Kansas State University Football, and the Fort Wallace Memorial Association. Jerry's work has been the feature of many magazine articles, book covers, and radio and TV talkshows. He has completed cover illustrations for the Journal of the West, Waterfowl, Military Heritage, and Research and Review of the Little Bighorn Associates, Inc. and the Crows Nest, the Journal of the Custer Association of Great Britain. The Kansas State Historical Society enlisted Jerry's help in creating book covers of eight historic forts in Kansas through the Frontier Forts of Kansas Network created by Kansas Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker. His painting, "The River", for the Kansas Wildscape Inc., was instrumental in generating the funds to create the Zach Hudec Memorial Wetlands at Milford Reservoir. The Army Historical Foundation and the National Infantry Association have included Jerry's award winning artwork in their beautiful  history collectors edition albums.

Jerry has dedicated much of his life to the preservation of our natural and historical heritage. His artwork and passion have generated funding and have been an important part of habitat restoration in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. His incredible depictions of native Americans, U.S. Military, and cowboys have helped to preserve important historical sites. The newly established Western Vistas Historic Byway features Jerry's designs along its 102 mile historic route.   

On May 1, 2010, Jerry's boyhood home, Scott City, Kansas, honored him with the Grand Opening of the new Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection.  Funded entirely by state and private donors, the Gallery houses Jerry's incredible original artwork and western heritage collection.   

Jerry D. Thomas was inducted into the Southwestern College Fine Arts Hall of Fame in 2012.  His gallery was named the #1 Art Gallery to see in Kansas in 2022.