Dates

• Existence: 1943-

Biographical History

William Whitaker (1943- ) is a classical-realist figure painter in Utah known for being the owner of the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, the founder of Brigham Young University's Graphic Design department, and worked as the advertising director for Capitol Records.

William Whitaker was born to owner of Whitaker-Gurnsey studio W. Ferrin and Martha Whitaker in Chicago, Illinois in 1943. Although he spent the first few years of his childhood in Chicago, at the age of 6, his family relocated to La Jolla, California. After this, at the age of 9 he then moved to Utah when his father and brothers decided to open up The Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah. Staying in Utah, he then attended the University between 1960-1967, with him taking a two-year mission to Germany in between. While at University, he became acquainted with University of Utah professor Alvin Gittins - whom he took Advanced Drawing with and later took a study abroad to Mexico with in 1967. In 1967, he graduated from the University of Utah with a business degree.

After he finished school, he moved to Los Angeles, where he soon became the owner of the Otis Art Institute and served as an advertising director for Capitol Records. After this, he then was employed at Brigham Young University, where he established the Graphic Design department and taught commercial, advertising, and fine art for 12 years. Between 1985-1990, he then briefly moved to Mesa, focusing his attention on pastel drawings on the female figure and Native Americans. On his spare time, he also painted portraits of Prophets and Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many of which are currently housed in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

Citation:

Utah Artists Project, via WWW, June 6, 2017 (William F. Whitaker; William Ferrin Whitaker, Jr.; classical-realist figure painter; lives in Salt Lake City, Utah) http://www.lib.utah.edu/collections/utah-artists/UAP-William-Whitaker.php

MormonWiki.com, via WWW, July 17, 2017 (Born to W. Ferrin and Martha Whitaker in Chicago, IL in 1943; father worked as the owner of the Whitaker-Gurnsey Studio; moved to La Jolla, California at the age of 6; relocated to Utah at the age of 9 when his family developed the Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah; he attended the University of Utah from 1960-1967; he took an advanced writing class and a study abroad to Mexico with Alvin Gittins; served a mission in Germany; worked as the owner of the Otis Art Institute in LA; worked as an advertising director for Capitol Records; established the Graphic Design department at BYU, teaching commercial, advertising, and fine art for 12 years; between 1985-1990 he lived in Mesa, Arizona working on pastel drawings of the female figure and Native Americans; some of his portraits of Prophets and Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are located at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City)

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