Gary Bates 

Who is Gary Bates?

a profile written by Marlene Parrish for Carnegie Mellon University’s OSHER chapter
July 6, 2023

Who is Gary Bates? A caricature artist might nail him as a cowboy-boots wearing fella with bushy eyebrows and a wide broom of a mustache spanning an easy smile. CMU professors correctly recognize him as a teacher and fellow academic. Colleagues applaud him as a contemporary American artist and teacher. Osher members know him as a gifted teacher, mentor and teller of tales.

He is all of the above - an artist, art educator and former arts administrator. He is a past President of the New York State Art Teacher's Association and was awarded the New York State Art Educator of the Year for his work in education. He has been recognized in the art field on state and local levels as well as nationally for his contributions to the field by the National Art Education.

He could have continued that rich and satisfying career, but life has a way of presenting detours. After living in New York for 40 years with his wife, Suzanne, he came to that legendary fork in the road.

Their daughter, her husband (a native Pittsburgher) and their young son were relocating to Pittsburgh for work. Gary and Suzanne knew that no way, nope, no way were they going to miss the opportunity to be part of the young family’s life. They made decisions, retired and moved from Long Island to Pittsburgh, too.

Buying a house in the north suburb of Wexford was a no-brainer for them. The previous owners had outfitted two art studios on the lower level that were move-in ready. Suzanne, a fabric artist, would have a spacious area for her yarns and dyes; Gary would take over the other studio’s shelves, nooks and ample space. Besides, the home sits on a large wooded lot perfect for the sun and shade gardening that they love.

The newcomers had plenty of projects: moving in the family antiques, arranging their collection of 200-year-old quilts, choosing the best sight lines for a collection of Japanese raku pottery, finding the proper window exposures for beloved plants and places to hang their art collection and paintings. Their entrance hall looks like the original Barnes art museum in Merion, PA. with its paintings hung on the walls up to the ceilings and around the corners.

Still the couple were eager to allow time to meet like-minded folks and make new friends. Their son-in-law’s parents, Judy and Barry Huff, suggested that they join CMU’s Osher program and take a few classes. Back in the day, in 2010, there was a waiting list to enroll. But teachers must teach. Gary designed a couple of courses, and jumped the line by offering basic drawing and independent art studies.

Since then, Gary has been an active Osher board member (two terms) and study leader. He has served on various committees, including Curriculum and Nominating. He was chairman of the lecture committee for nine years and is the creator and chairman of Osher's SIG Patron of the Arts, a special interest group. No matter that the commute to CMU takes 45 minutes each way. He showed up.

But that hardly tells his back story. What makes him tick, anyway?

Gary grew up in Nebraska, cowboy boots and all. Family instilled in him the values he carries to this day. His Grandmother taught him how to identify and care for plants. A love of antiques was passed down. From childhood, the seeds of nurturing, observation, innovation and leadership were planted. He decided on medicine as a profession. Why not?

Then another fork in the road appeared. Gary was a third-year medical student when a zoology professor observed his drawings in a class notebook. Those are very good, said the professor. Yes, very good. I think you might do well to take an art class or two, he said.

So Gary began taking art classes on the side. He excelled and loved it. No surprise there, but when he told his father he wanted to leave medicine for an art career, his aghast dad said, “Doctors make money, artists starve.” It took a long time for things between them to patch over.

The art career bloomed. Circumstances presented opportunities, and Gary drove his Buick convertible from Nebraska to Long Island. Long story short, he and Suzanne met on a beach, fell in love, married, had two daughters and have been best friends for 53 years.

And the career flourished. Bates served as President of The University Council for Art Education at Columbia University, Executive Director of the Art League of Long Island and as Director of Art for the Lawrence Public Schools in Long Island, NY. Association. He has been recognized in the art field on state and local levels as well as nationally for his contributions to the field by the National Art Education. As an artist, his work has been shown in eleven states and Mexico.

One of his proudest achievements brought him around full circle. A medical illustration course was offered at Lawrence High School on Long Island where Gary was the District Art Supervisor. It took three people — the science teacher, a medical illustrator and Gary — to teach the college credit course which was linked with New York Institute of Technology.

If ever you are lucky enough to get an invite to visit Gary and Suzanne in their Wexford home, allow a minimum of three hours. One to trek there and back, one to gawk at the interior and one for conversation. When he starts telling stories, and he will, add another hour.