Kenneth Riley

born Waverly, Missouri, 1919; died Santa Barbara, California, 2015

BiographyKenneth Riley was born in Waverly, Missouri, and began his studies at the Kansas City Art Institute under Thomas Hart Benton. He continued on to New York City, where he took classes at the Art Students League during the day and the Grand Central School of Art at night. After serving as a combat artist during World War II, Riley enjoyed a successful career as an illustrator for 25 years with his work appearing in National Geographic, Life, and the Saturday Evening Post. He was commissioned by the National Park Service to paint Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in the late 1960s and from that point on devoted himself solely to paintings of the American West. He began with a broad focus on western history, and soon developed a particular interest in depicting Plains Indian cultures, using bold compositions and bright colors in his work. He moved to Tucson in 1972.

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