Steeped in memories both personal and cultural, the art of Wayne Thiebaud is comfortingly familiar and evokes reflection on our own experiences with the people, places, and foods we love. Thiebaud is best known for his tantalizing paintings of desserts and has long been associated with the Pop Art movement. Wayne Thiebaud 100: Paintings, Prints, and Drawings celebrates the artist’s 100th birthday through 100 works representing the artist’s achievements in all media through an array of subjects.
Wayne Thiebaud 100: Paintings, Prints, and Drawings is organized at the McNay Art Museum by René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs; and Lauren Thompson, Assistant Curator.
Lead sponsorship is most generously provided by The Brown Foundation. Major funding provided by the Arthur & Jane Stieren Fund for Exhibitions and the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992. Additional support provided by the Semmes Foundation, J.B. and Corinna Holt Richter, The Tobin Endowment, and the Host Committee, chaired by Terri and Glenn Huddleston.
Top Image: Wayne Thiebaud, Pies, Pies, Pies, 1961. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Philip L. Ehlert in memory of Dorothy Evelyn Ehlert, 1974.12. © 2021 Wayne Thiebaud / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
(pronounced “tee-bow”)
The artist was born in Mesa, Arizona and grew up in Long Beach, California.
One of his first jobs was at Mile High and Red Hot, a café known for its stacked ice-cream cones and hot dogs.
At 16, Thiebaud broke his back playing sports, which led him to explore creative pursuits and become involved in high school theatrical productions.
Thiebaud joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1940.
In 1994, he received the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to an artist by the U.S. government.
Thiebaud personally requested the McNay Art Museum as a venue for this exhibition, Wayne Thiebaud 100: Paintings, Prints, and Drawings.
On November 15, 2020, Thiebaud celebrated his 100th birthday.
