Robert Hale’s work on exhibit at Lucas Road

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November 10, 2009

Anonymous The Meridian Star Tue Nov 10, 2009, 10:42 PM CST

An artist's reception featuring the work of Robert Hale will be held at Lucas Road Gallery and Frame Shop on Thursday from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

The gallery is located at 2211 Fifth St., in downtown Meridian.

Meridian Artist Robert Hale (Jimmy Smith) is a retired college instructor. He taught speech and theater at Meridian Community College from 1970-2000 after completing an undergraduate degree in education with an emphasis in speech and a master's degree in theater at the University of Mississippi. He has done post graduate work in England through San Diego University.

While teaching at MCC, he was recognized with an Outstanding Teacher Award in 1989 and was presented the award as Outstanding Arts Educator of 1997 by the Meridian Arts Council. Hale has served on the board of directors of the Meridian Museum of Art and the Lauderdale County/Meridian Council for the Arts.

Hale is a native of Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Northeast Mississippi often serves as a source of inspiration for his painting. His paintings are in private collections in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Washington, D.C., Oregon, California, North Carolina and Washington.

Artist's statement

I have never had formal training in art. I have always been fascinated by art. Growing up in rural Hurricane, Mississippi in the 1940s and '50s didn't include opportunities for formal art education but I was able to read about art and artists. In college, I took an Introduction to Art course as an elective and visited my first art museum. I never considered art as a profession but from that time on, I made a point of visiting art museums whenever I traveled in this country and in Europe. I still do and never seem to see enough.

I have learned a great deal through conversation with and observation of the works of artists whom I have been fortunate to know and to admire. These include Alex Loeb, Dick Kelso, Lou O'Leary, John Marshal, Bill Watkins, Marie Hull, Joey Horne, Les Green and Millie Howell.

I actually started to paint two years ago when I worked part time at a frame shop and art gallery. On a particularly slow day, I complained of being bored. The co-owner of the gallery, Libba Blue, also an artist, gave me her paints and told me to paint! I did a small painting and as a joke framed it and put it on the wall. Someone bought it and I was off and running! I suppose I am an intuitive painter. I never paint from photographs but paint from the memories of places and things that I have seen. I am not so concerned with detail which surprises some people since I spent 30 years of my life teaching and directing for the theater and acting-all involving much attention to detail. I love color and abstraction.

People who have known me for years as Jimmy Smith are confused that I sign my paintings, "Robert Hale." "James Robert Hale" is my birth name. When I was four, my mother married Mr. Smith but I was never legally adopted by him. "Smith" however became my last name by default. I was an adult when I realized that I was actually James Hale and have spent my adult life with people looking suspiciously at me when I sign hotel registers and buy airline tickets, stc. as "Jimmy Smith."

My art work is available through Lucas Road Art Gallery and Frame Shop in Meridian and through Lounge Arts Gallery (loungeartsgallery.com) on Canton Mart Road in Jackson. My works are also available through A Gallery and Plums Gift Shop on Main Street, downtown Hattiesburg.

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