A Life-Long Art Teacher Leaves a Legacy for Future Generations of Artists

Gene Gill (Chouinard 62) loves teaching. Over a 25-year career as a high school art teacher in Los Angeles, Gill is proud of his many students who went on to college and thriving, creative careers. Now retired, he's making it possible for future generations to study art by creating the Gene Gill Scholarship at CalArts through an estate gift. "Art has been my life, and I want to do something for art," he says.

With a knack for drawing as a young boy, Gill grew up in Memphis and after four years in the Navy, enrolled at Chouinard Art Institute, the Los Angeles art school that would eventually merge with the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music to form CalArts. He joined the military so that he could take advantage of the G.I. Bill, the grant program created in 1944 to support higher education for veterans. "Though I didn't think so at the time, my family was poor," he says.

Gill studied at Chouinard from 1958 to 1962. "I became a totally different person at Chouinard," says Gill, who at 86, still has a slight Tennessee accent. "I saw art differently. I became interested in everything."

Following Chouinard and a year taking education classes, Gill began his career teaching high school art. Gill introduced his students to the possibilities of turning their raw art talent into a profession. "None of my students thought that art could be a career until I taught them," Gill says. "It felt so good when I'd see these kids improve. It made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile."

Now retired, Gill wants to continue making a difference for young students in the arts. Through an estate gift, he has the satisfaction of knowing that he will have a significant impact on CalArts students. "I believed in Chouinard and I feel the same way about CalArts," Gill says.

Gifts like Gill's ensure that future students are afforded the same life-changing education that he received at Chouinard. Make a difference with a gift in your estate plan. Contact Cynthia Villasenor at (661) 253-7728 or cvillasenor@calarts.edu to get started.