Del Yoakum was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. Throughout his childhood, he was surrounded by artists. His mother was a painter. After dismissing his hope of studying music, painting became his passion. As a boy in the late 1930s, he received a scholarship for four consecutive years to study each summer with Thomas Hart Benton at Kansas City Art Institute. After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he came to Los Angeles and studied with Henry Lee McFee, Phil Dike, and Rico Lebrun; and at Chouinard Art Institute, Jepson Art Institute, and the University of Southern California's Roski School of Fine Arts.
Yoakum's occupation was that of a Painter - Designer - Motion Picture Artist in Hollywood, California from 1952-1972. Over 21 years, he worked for Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and MGM; and did special assignments for Walt Disney Studios. During this time he also did his own fine art painting in his own studio. Among his many accomplishments during his long career, he painted the Grand Canyon and Primeval World Diorama scenery (viewable from the train of Disneyland Railroad), portions of Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World and the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland in California.
He also painted scenery for movies such as The Shoes of the Fisherman for which he recreated the panel about the life of Moses, and parts of the Last Judgment by Michelangelo, for the interior of the Sistine Chapel (MGM Studios). He created the city of Jerusalem for The Robe (which won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Art Direction–Set Decoration, Color), after which he created a fantastic 600 foot cyclorama that backed the safari camp set of The Snows of Kilimanjaro. Other films he created dioramic scenes for included Billy Wilder's Some Like it Hot (nominated for the 1959 Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White Academy Award), The King and I, Niagara, Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (the Mount Rushmore scene) and many others. During his term at 20th Century Fox, he also worked on many of the Marilyn Monroe pictures, and even one of the Elvis movies.
Yoakum's work has been exhibited in over 50 galleries, associations, museums, festivals, schools, colleges, fairs and art shows. He also contributed paintings to a number of invitational group shows including two in Mexico. He received over 30 awards and his paintings also received national recognition in art publications, including a number of art books and several art magazines over the years.
Del was married to his wife Barbara Yoakum for over 50 years. He had three children; Robert, Bob and Cathleen. He lived in Sedona, Arizona for more than 25 years. He was a lifelong Democrat and a committed Christian, who even painted Christ's Crucifixion (which hangs in England's Coventry Cathedral) and Resurrection (which is in the permanent collection of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Sedona).
Who's Who in American ArtWho's Who in the WestAmerican Artist MagazineNewport Magazine CoverThe Illustrator (Magazine)Dictionary of International BiographyArt News MagazineInternational Directory (Cambridge, England)"Landscapes" (Book), Davis Publications, Inc., 1977Arizona Highways (Magazine), 1981Road Runner (Book Cover), 1985 [1]American Artists (Book), 1985The California Style (Book), 1985Sedona Heritage: Arizona Artists (Book), 1997Kudos (Magazine), 2006National Watercolor Society (Past President 1961 and Honorary Life Member)Inglewood Art League (Honorary Life Member)Artist Equity Board Member (1951 through 1955)National Society of Literature and the ArtsSedona Art Center, Sedona, ArizonaNational GI Exhibit, - Grand Prize - 1948 - Santa Monica, CAAdahl Hyde Morrison Silver Medal 2nd Award -Oakland, CAFrye Museum - Edouvard Manet Award - 1958 - Seattle, WASanta Monica Arts, Ass'n - 1st Prize - 1948 & 1949 - Santa Monica, CAHawthorne Methodist Church - Grand Award - Hawthorne, CADeluca Award, Las Vegas, NVInglewood Art League - 1st Award - Inglewood, CACalifornia State Fair - Honorable Mention AwardRiverside Art Ass'n - 3rd Award - 1966 - Riverside, CADowney Museum of Art - Honorable Mention Award - 1969City of Avalon Best of Show - 1967 - Avalon, CA (see image at right)John Marin Memorial Award - Watercolor USA - 1971St. Raymonds - 1st Prize - 1971 - Thousand Oaks, CAHawthorne Art Festival - 2nd Award - 1971 - Hawthorne, CAArches Paper Award - National Watercolor Society - 1971Inglewood Art League - 1st Award - 1970 - Inglewood, CAHawthorne Art Festival - 1st Award - 1970 - Hawthorne, CASan Bernardino Art Ass'n - 2nd Award - San Bernardino, CACatalina Art Ass'n - Honorable Mention Award - 1967Catalina Art Ass'n - 3rd Award - 1968California State Fair - Honorable Mention Award - 1966 - Sacramento, CAFrye Museum - Honorable Mention Award - 1963 - Seattle, WAInglewood Art League - Best of Show - 1969Arizona State Fair - Honorable Mention Award - 1973Arizona State Fair - Cash Award - 1974Arizona State Fair - Public Appeal Award - 1980Arizona State Fair - 1st Place Cash Award - 1984Arizona State Fair - Honorable Mention Award (WC) - 1986Coconino County Fair - 1st Prize - 1973 and 1974Laguna Beach Museum of Art Award - National Watercolor Society - 1975Jerome Art Center - 1st Prize WC - 1985Best of Show - WC - 1985 - Winslow, AZ1st Place - Oil - 1985 - Winslow, AZ1st Place - WC - 1985 - Winslow, AZHonorable Mention Award - Oil - Winslow, AZ(WC = Water Color)
Butler Institute of American Art, OilSan Diego Art Museum, WatercolorNational Watercolor Society, purchase, Motion Picture Art DirectorNewport High SchoolLas Vegas art Association, Nevada Power and ElectricGlendale Federal Savings and Loan, Glendale, CaBrussels, Belgium, Page J. ThibodeauxWashburn SchoolCoventry Cathedral, Coventry, England, OilSt. Luke's Episcopal Church, Sedona, AZ, OilSedona High SchoolSedona Chamber of CommerceMany Private CollectionsLos Angeles Museum 1947-1950, 1952, 1954–1955, 1957 and 1958Denver Museum 1953, 1954, and 1960Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1957, 1969, and 1970The Butler Institute of American Art 1953, 1955, 1957–1959, 1964, 1967–1971, 1975–1978, 1980–1985Oakland Art Museum 1949, 1950, 1952, 1957, 1966, and 1967San Diego Art Museum 1954Watercolor USA 1966, 1968–1973, and 1975University of Washington 1954Hawthorne Art Festival 1967-1969, and 1971National Watercolor Society 1954, 1956–1976, 1980, 1982–1985DeYoung Museum 1962Los Angeles Art Association 1946, 1949, 1951, and 1953Frye Museum 1958, 1959, 1961–1965Newport High School 1953-1957, 1959–1961American Artist Galleries 1949National Orange Show 1947, 1949, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1966, and 1967Arizona State Fair 1948, 1973–1977, 1980–1986John Ringling Museum 1959 and 1960Long Beach Museum 1959, 1960, and 1962San Francisco Art Association 1959Dulin Gallery of Art 1964Virginia Museum 1958 and 1962Las Vegas Art Association 1959, 1963, 1965, and 1968Pasadena Museum 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, and 1961Palos Verdes Art Gallery 1958 and 1969Henry Gallery 1954Richmond Art Gallery 1958-1969, and 1963Pacific Art Festival 1949California Palace Legion of Honor 1955-1957, 1959, and 1961Wichita Kansas Centennial 1970St. Raymonds, Thousand Oaks, California 1970Tucson Art Museum 1964Los Angeles Miracle Mile 1965, 1966–1968Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery 1946-1948, and 1950California State Fair 1951, 1955–1958, 1962, 1966, 1968, and 1970Inglewood Art League 1961-1969Riverside Art Association 1966 and 1971Riverside National Date Festival Exhibit 1966Santa Monica Art Association 1949 and 1958Downey Museum of Art 1969Los Angeles City Art Festival 1965-1971Catalina Art Association 1966-1971Cerritos College 1967La Mirada Art Association 1967 and 1968Laguna Beach Art Show 1969Los Angeles Home Show 1967 and 1978Mainstreams (Marietta, Ohio) 1968Glendale Fine Arts Center (Glendale AZ) 1984 and 1985Sedona Arts Center (Sedona AZ) 1981 and 1986Winslow, AZ 1985 and 1986Jerome Art Center (Jerome AZ) 1986Santa Paula 1958, 1961–1963, 1967, 1968, and 1970Grand Canyon Diorama, Disneyland 1958–presentRegarding Del Yoakum:
(Les Krantz, American Artists)
(Isabel McCord Stroud, Sedona Heritage: Arizona Artists)
(Lucas O. Seastrom, Welcome to the Disneyland Railroad Grand Canyon Diorama Tribute!!)