Andrew Chinn

Andrew Nan Chinn's parents emigrated from Toyshan, Canton (modern Taishan, Guangdong), China, to the United States in about 1910.

After his mother died of influenza in 1918, he and his older sister Ann returned to Toyshan, where, with the encouragement of his grandfather, he learned traditional calligraphy.

He, Chong, and other young artist friends formed the Chinese Art Club, holding monthly shows at a shared studio in Seattle's International District.

He worked alongside Graves, Chong, Guy Anderson, Helmi Juvonen, Jacob Elshin, Julius Twohy, and other notable painters, printmakers, and sculptors.

[3] In 1946 he began teaching evening classes in watercolor painting at Seattle Central Community College (originally Edison Technical School), which he would continue to do for over 45 years.