A lifelong Texan, Tony McGregor was born in Garland, TX on November 18, 1958.  He became deaf at approximately 18 months of age from hereditary causes.  Tony was heavily encouraged to pursue art in his boyhood and studied drawing and painting in both private and "mainstreamed" public schools.  He attended Gallaudet University and took some studio art classes there in 1977, but transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, from which he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors.  Tony also majored in Engineering Design Graphics at Austin Community College.  He also earned an Art Education certification and a Masters in Education in Multicultural Special Education.  He is now pursuing a doctorate in multicultural special education with an emphasis in museum studies at the University of Texas, Austin.  McGregor has worked as a research assistant, a computer graphics designer, a technical illustrator and an art teacher. He is currently a Resident Artist-in-Education at the  Austin Museum of Art.

Artist's Statement

"I am always involved in many things with my hands; I am constantly experimenting with art.  My favorite medium is mixed media.  For the last twenty years, I have traveled to West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah and those areas have greatly influenced my way of thinking.  The most prominent artists who influenced me significantly are Georgia O'Keefe and of course, Francisco de Goya of Spain.  In addition, I have been surrounded by Native American Friends living in the Southwest area and their culture and folklore are fascinating to me.

"I have been exploring juxtaposition as a concept in many of my artworks; it contains a unique blending of two cultures; the Native American culture and Deaf culture.  This concept creates a new frontier called 'Southwestern De'VIA' art.  The works of art I have composed are extensions or dimensions of my artistic personality.  Sometimes, I create political art to make strong statements about situations or events that somewhat affect me and many of my political satire drawings have been featured in Deaf Life magazine.  The political satire illustrations are somewhat reminiscent of Goya's style.  My political satire art is therapeutic; when I put my "deaf feelings" down on paper or canvas, negative feelings and thoughts are reduced.

"Nonetheless, my basic philosophy of art is this: Art should be appreciated for what it is and not by whom it had been done. Art should not be judged as either 'Deaf art' or 'hearing art;' the artist's own style should be respected. Art should be thought of as art for all people. And most important, art galleries should be willing to take in Deaf artists as artists, not as 'deaf' artists."