McElhinney, James Lancel was born on February 3, 1952 in Abington, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of James McElhinney (1918-1981) and Joan Howland Carpenter McElhinney (1922-2019). BFA Painting, Tyler School of Art of Temple University. Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture; MFA Painting, Yale University.
Scholarship student, Skowhegan School Painting and Sculp, Maine, 1973. Bachelor of Fine Arts, Temple University, 1974. Master of Fine Arts, Yale University, 1976.
Assistant professor Moore College Art, Philadelphia, 1977-1978, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, 1979-1987. Instructor Milwaukee Institute Art and Design, 1991-1993. Visiting artist East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, 1994-1998. Head painting and drawing program visual arts department University Colorado, Denver, 1998—2003. Visiting associate professor Pratt Institute, New York City, since 2004. Adjunct instructor University of California at Los Angeles, 1983, Moore College Art, 1983, Tyler School Art, Philadelphia, 1983—1986, University Arts, 1985—1989.
Artist in residence Harper's Ferry National History Park, 1999. Director study abroad program in Feltre, Veneto, Italy, 2000—2002. Speaker @ United States Air Force Academy, National Character & Leadership Symposium 2001.
Visiting Associate Professor of Drawing, Pratt Institute: 2004-2015. Faculty & Academic Coordinator: Art Students League New York, 2005-2016. Lecturer in field; lecturer New-York Historical Society, 2006-2007, National Academy of Design. Visiting artist at Central Michigan University, Hudson River School Painting, 2007, Visiting artist: University of Iowa Graduate School Art, 2008. Public Speaking: US Capitol Historical Society, 2017. Indepoendence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia 2018, FDR Presidential Library 2019, Hudson River Museum 2019. Olana State Historic Sitre 2019, Albany Institute of History and Art 2020, Handel-Kron Lecture for Hudson River Valley Institute, 2022. Speaker at The Wild Center, Upper Lake, NY 2024.
Oral history interviewer for the Columbia University Center for Oral History, Frick Center for the History of Collecting, Smithsonian Archives of American Art, South Carolina Center for Jewish History.
Author of six books on drawing and painting plus numerous essays and articles on related subjects.
Trustee: Hudson River Museum. Arthur Miller Foundation Artist & Industry Council
Episcopalian
Independent
Volunteer Richmond (Virginia) National Battlefield Park, since 1991, Living History Team Corps of Discovery, United States Army Corps. of Engineers Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, Topographical engineering National Regiment, 1996-2000, Brigade American Revolution, since 2008. Member College Art Association, Sons of the American Revolution, Civil War Preservation Trust, Metropolitan Museum Art, Museum of Modern Art, Foote Family Associate.
Married Victoria Maria Dávila, September 12, 1981 (divorced), Married Katherine E. Menthorne, August 22, 2006.
