Yumiko Tsumura
Oil Painting Atelier
Application deadline is May 31, 2026
About
Pacific Art League is honored to launch a new initiative made possible through a generous gift: The Yumiko Tsumura Oil Painting Atelier, a tuition-free studio program designed to support and inspire the next generation of young oil painters.
For many young artists, oil painting—the medium of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and countless master painters—can feel out of reach. The cost of materials and the technical nature of the medium often create barriers that limit access. This program removes those barriers, opening the studio door at a pivotal moment in a young artist’s creative journey.
Through the Yumiko Tsumura Oil Painting Atelier, a small cohort of dedicated students (ages 14–17) will receive sustained instruction and mentorship in a supportive studio environment where curiosity, discipline, and artistic voice can flourish.
Tuition is fully funded ($1,000 value), and all materials are provided.
In the Studio
The atelier begins in July and runs through November, allowing students to develop their artistic practice while balancing school commitments.
Program Dates & Times: July- November
Wed 7/15 · Wed 7/22 · Wed 7/29 · Wed 8/5 [5-7:30pm]
Sun 8/16 · Sun 8/23 · Sun 8/30 · Sun 9/13 · Sun 9/20 · Sun 9/27 · Sun 10/4 · Sun 10/18 · Sun 10/25 · Sun 11/1 [1-3:30pm]
Exhibition: Each student will exhibit 1 final painting from the program at PAL’s 105th Anniversary Exhibit (opening November 13, 2026)
Atelier Cohort: 12 students
Studio Sessions: 15 sessions
Session Length: 2.5 hours
Throughout the program, students will learn in a studio-based environment guided by a range of Pacific Art League’s experienced oil painting instructors, each bringing their own techniques, perspectives, and approach to the medium. Exposure to multiple instructors allows students to expand their understanding of oil painting while discovering what resonates most with their own artistic voice.
The curriculum introduces both the technical and expressive possibilities of oil painting, including:
drawing and observation for painters
color mixing and oil painting techniques
still life and observational painting
introduction to portrait and figure painting
independent studio work and artistic exploration
The program culminates in a presentation of student work in Pacific Art League’s 105th Anniversary Exhibition in November.
Tuition is fully funded ($1,000 value), and all materials are provided.
Application Process
Eligibility
Open to students ages 14 - 17
Application Timeline:
Applications Open: March 27th
Application Deadline: May 31st
Acceptance Decision Notification: June 8th
Enrollment Confirmation Deadline: June 13th
Program Begins: July 15th
About Yumiko Tsumura
Yumiko Tsumura taught Zen and Japanese culture with Shodo art course in Bay Area colleges while she worked as a US-Japan business communications specialist at Apple Computer, Nasa and Patent law firms. Also, she is a poet and translator. She has been a long time resident with deep ties to the local community.
For over 50 years, she has been a member of the Pacific Art League, supporting generations of artists and building lasting relationship within the creative community.
Yumiko earned BA and MA in American Literature from Kansei Gakuin University in Japan before she earned MFA in poetry and translation from the International Writing Program, the University of Iowa.
She is an accomplished translator of modern Japanese poetry, with her translations of Kazuko Shiraishi published by New Directions Publishing, including Let Those Who Appear (2002), My Floating Mother, City (2009), and Sea, Land, Shadow (2017). She has also collaborated with Samuel Grolmes on translations of other major Japanese poets, including Tamura Ryuichi Poems 1946–1998. In addition to her translation work, Yumiko is the author of several poetry collections, including Woman of March (2017), Man of Peace (2020), and All in One (2021).
Her connection to the arts extends beyond literature. Her late husband, Paul Mathews, was a physicist and an accomplished artist in both pottery and oil painting, and together they shared a lifelong appreciation for creative practice. Yumiko was also a close friend and patron of ceramic artist Marguerite Rose, reflecting her deep support of working artists.
In a remarkable act of cultural stewardship, Yumiko has recently donated original signed books, manuscripts, and correspondence from leading figures in modern Japanese literature—including Ryuichi Tamura, Kazuko Shiraishi, and Yumiko Kurahashi—along with her books of translation of these writers, to the Stanford University East Asia Library and the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa for permanent preservation.
Through her generosity and lifelong dedication to the arts, Yumiko continues to nurture and inspire the next generation of artists through the Yumiko Tsumura Oil Painting Atelier.