James P. Bates

James P. (Jim) Bates (1944-1973) was a devoted and accomplished artist. Most of his art was in the acrylic medium. During the three years preceding his untimely death, he was quite prolific, producing 17 large paintings (roughly 3 feet by 4 feet) along with many black and white sketches and a number of smaller works.

Jim was a graduate of Mount Morris High School in Mount Morris, Illinois and attended Augustana College in Rock Island for two and a half years before joining the U. S. Air Force in 1965. While serving in the Air Force as a personnel specialist he pursued a Famous Artist correspondence course in a quest for more knowledge regarding a profession in art.

After working as a commercial artist for several years, Jim renewed his college education at Northern Illinois University beginning in the spring of 1972. He was enthused about his life’s vocation and anticipated graduating in 1974 with a BFA degree. One of Jim’s smaller artworks is displayed in the student lounge in the Art Building at NIU. “A study in red and yellow by an uninspired artist” offers testimony to his wit, personality and creative ability. An annual scholarship is awarded to art students by his loving family in memory of James P. Bates.