Howard Yezerski Gallery is deeply saddened to share the news of John O’Reilly’s passing at his home in Worcester, MA. John died at the age of 91 with his partner of nearly 70 years, James Tellin, by his side. We feel that the essay by Howard Yezerski from John and Jim’s 2020 exhibition, ‘John O'Reilly & James Tellin: Recent Work (2018–2020)’ is fitting for this moment: 

John O’Reilly and James Tellin were born in 1930 in a hospital in East Orange, New Jersey, eight months apart: John in February and Jim in November.

By the time I met them in 1984 they had been together for thirty years, having met at the Art Institute of Chicago.

I was introduced to John’s work through an exhibition at the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts. That encounter began a thirty-six-year relationship with both of them. By 1984 they had been living in Worcester for more than twenty years. You may wonder, “Why Worcester?” As the story goes, in the late 1950s, having just returned from Spain, they were headed to Maine when the car broke down in Worcester. Having no money for the repairs, among other things, they decided to stay.

By 1963, after a series of teaching positions and working in retail, they found themselves drawn to the then-emerging field of Art Therapy. From 1964 until 1991 they shared a position at the Worcester State Hospital rotating every two and a half days, one working with people diagnosed with schizophrenia, and the other with people suffering from depression. This schedule arrangement allowed both of them to pursue studio practice until their retirement, upon which studio work was given full attention.

In this exhibition, their work occupies the exact same space in the gallery. John O’Reilly, as always, manages to add a twist to his work making a series he refers to as drawings, which are a combination of drawing and collage. I am told that this is the first time the two mediums have been combined. James Tellin has revisited his three-dimensional work, slyly dealing with the human condition, and created seven sculptures, four of which are installed on the wall and three on bases.

Together, they make a wonderful combination. Two artists who have known each other since their early twenties, still living together and still making work into their nineties (this last statement comes a little prematurely for Jim but we hope he forgives this liberty).

It has been a rare pleasure for me to be a part of their ongoing journey,

 Howard Yezerski