Bert Long Jr. facts for kids

Bert Long Jr. (1940–2013) was a talented American artist. He was a chef, a painter, a photographer, and a sculptor. He also helped start Project Row Houses, a community art project.

Bert Long Jr.'s Early Life

Bert Long Jr. was born in 1940 in Houston, Texas. His mother worked as a maid. His father died in a workplace accident when Bert was only three. This meant Bert had to help his mother care for his three younger siblings. As a child, he even picked cotton in the summer to help his family.

Bert started working at the Houston Club when he was just twelve years old. He took his first art class at Wheatley High School (Houston). However, he mostly taught himself about art. He spent many hours studying art books at the public library.

Military Service and Culinary Career

In 1959, at age 19, Bert joined the Marines. He served until 1964. That same year, he married Connie Kelly, his childhood neighbor. They had three children together.

Before becoming a famous artist, Bert was a top chef. He went to culinary school in Los Angeles. He worked as an executive chef in fancy restaurants. He even opened his own restaurant called "Big Bert's" in Oregon. Later, he became an executive Sous-chef at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.

Bert and Connie moved to Rome after he won the Rome Prize. They later moved to Spain. Sadly, Connie was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997. She died in 1998, shortly after they moved back to Texas. Bert passed away from pancreatic cancer on February 1, 2013, at age 72.

Bert Long Jr.'s Art Career

Bert's first art show was at the MGM Grand, where he worked as a chef. This experience inspired him to change his career. In 1975, in his mid-thirties, he decided to become a full-time artist. He traveled to art fairs across the western United States.

In 1976, Bert worked at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. He started to gain success as an artist there. He had a showing at the DuSable Museum of African American History. After about a year, he returned to Houston.

Gaining Recognition in Houston

In Houston, Bert Long Jr. began to get noticed. Important people in the art world paid attention to his work. These included Jim Harithas, director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Other artists like John Alexander and James Surls also recognized his talent.

Bert believed that art could help heal people's souls. He worked as a painter, photographer, and sculptor. He used traditional art materials. But he also created art using ice!

His art was shown in major museums. These included the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH). His work was also at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). He had shows in museums and galleries across the U.S. and Europe.

Awards and Notable Works

In 1985, Bert was part of an important show called Fresh Paint at MFAH. He received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1987. In 1990, he won the Prix de Rome. This award allowed him to live and work in Rome for a year.

In 2006, James Surls organized a solo show for Bert at MFAH. It was called Out of the life of Burt Long Jr. This show featured one of Bert's most famous paintings, Ride the Tiger (2002).

Bert also created large public artworks. One is a huge mural at the Looscan Neighborhood Library. It is about seven feet tall and thirty feet long. Another is a sculpture called Field Of Visions. This sculpture is located at the Project Row Houses campus.

The Looscan mural, titled Art/Life (2008), shows seventeen famous artworks. It includes works by artists like Rembrandt and Da Vinci. The mural also shows a self-portrait of Bert. He is steering a ship through rough, shark-filled waters. Bert said the mural represents different art periods. He explained that "the theme is the traversing of art and life." The sharks, he said, represent "the trials and tribulations of artists."

Today, Bert Long Jr.'s important papers are kept at the University of Houston Special Collections. The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) has a gallery named after him. This gallery shows the work of four Houston artists each year. You can also find Bert Long Jr.'s art in the collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.