After departure from the Rohwer internment camp in 1944 George Akimoto attended the New York City Art Students League, worked at the Beacon Studio and was a co-owner of Paul George Studios.

George Akimoto in early 1950s from the family collection of his daughter Tracy Williams.

In 1946 George Akimoto moved to Miami, Florida where he became an Art Director at the August Dorr “Parsons, Dorr & Hume” Advertising Agency. In Miami he helped to organize the Advertising Artists’ Guild and on October 30, 1947 according to the brief announcement in “The Miami Herald”, George Akimoto was elected the vice-president of the Miami Advertising Artists’ Guild.

“The Miami Herald” 31 October 1947.

“The Miami Herald” on December 21, 1947 published an article advertising the showing of the “Portrait of Dorian Grey” co-sponsored by the Miami Advertising Artists’ Guild, of which George Akimoto was the Vice-president.

Guild vice-president George Akimoto is second on the left in the Guild group photograph. 

The Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation work application dated August 10, 1955 contains the most detailed information about George Akimoto work experience at the various Advertising agencies, “Los Angeles Examiner” and his Industrial Artist work for Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica, California. 

The Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation application from the George Akimoto personal collection courtesy of his daughter Tracy Williams.

A painting by George Akimoto was on the cover of the October 1961 issue of “The Journal of Commercial Art and Design” and all stages from sketches to the finished illustration were presented in that issue to demonstrate the creative process. He was working for Fred Kopp Advertising Art at the time.

Images that appeared in “The Journal of Commercial Art and Design” from the George Akimoto personal collection courtesy of his daughter Tracy Williams.

During the Second annual exhibition of Communication Art, sponsored by CA, The Journal of Commercial Art and Design, George Akimoto had received “The Award of Excellence” in the category “Technical Art.” George Akimoto personal collection courtesy of his daughter Tracy Williams. 

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