College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

From the time he was a sophomore in college, Jim Thompson knew he wanted to be an art professor and went on to get a degree in drawing and painting from Cal State University, Long Beach before moving on to receive an Ed.D. in Art Education from Illinois State University in 1988. He has been teaching for 31 years beginning with El Monte Unified School District, moving on to Olivet Nazarene University, Illinois State University, and finally, Azusa Pacific University. He has had solo exhibits at Point Loma University, Concordia University, Azusa Pacific University, and the Guy Kinnear Studios. Since 2007, he has joined Seeds Fine Art exhibits and has shown at St. John's church and the Crystal Cathedral. Additionally, he has spoken at several National Art Education Association conventions in Denver, New York City, and New Orleans as well as publishing articles for Schoolarts Magazine. Added to his teaching responsibilities with undergraduate students, Thompson teaches for the Accelerated Degree Program on campus. Students will also benefit from his active role in annual events such as the Canyon City Chalk Festival along with History Day LA, connecting APU and local K-12 students in making art reflective of historic themes.