Kermit Oliver facts for kids

Kermit Oliver (born in 1943) is an American artist known for his unique paintings. He lived and worked in Houston before moving to Waco, Texas. His art shows his love for Texas, along with ideas from myths, religion, and history.

Oliver's paintings mix modern and classic styles. He calls his style "symbolic realism." His artworks often show "strange, beautiful worlds" filled with people and animals. These figures look real but are placed in surprising, dream-like scenes.

In 2017, the Texas Commission on the Arts named Oliver the Texas State Two-Dimensional Artist. One of his paintings, "Tobias," was shown at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., in 2016. In 2013, he received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art League Houston.

Early Life and Education

Kermit Oliver was born in Refugio, Texas. His father worked as a cowboy on a cattle ranch. By the time he was 6 or 7, it was clear he had a special talent for drawing. He loved to sketch cattle, horses, and the plants and animals of South Texas.

In 1960, after finishing high school, Oliver went to Texas Southern University in Houston. There, he studied art with a famous artist named Dr. John T. Biggers. In 1962, he married Katie Washington, who was also an art student.

While at Texas Southern University, Oliver received a Jesse Jones Art Scholarship. He graduated in 1967 with degrees in Fine Arts and art education. In 1968, he started teaching art at Texas Southern University and the Art League of Houston. However, he soon decided that teaching was not the career he wanted.

For most of his life, Oliver worked as both an artist and a full-time mail sorter. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Houston and then for thirty years in Waco, Texas, after moving there in 1984. He believed that having a steady job was the best way to support his family. It also gave him the freedom to create art on his own terms. He retired from the postal service in 2013 and has continued to work as an artist.

Kermit Oliver's Art

Even while he was still an art student, Oliver's work was shown at the Courtney Gallery in Houston. In 1970, the gallery gave him his first solo exhibition, where only his art was displayed. He had his second solo show the next year at the DuBose Gallery.

After graduating, Oliver became a very important part of the Houston art world. He was the first African-American artist in Houston to be represented by a major art gallery. His art has been shown in many solo and group exhibitions. It is also part of several museum collections.

In 2005, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston held a special exhibition of Oliver's work. It was called "Notes from a Child’s Odyssey: the art of Kermit Oliver." This show included more than 90 of his artworks created over four decades.

Alvia Wardlaw, who organized the 2005 exhibition, said that Oliver's love for plants and animals started in his childhood. He was free to explore Refugio, ride horses, and sketch. She noted that his way of seeing the Texas landscape became a way for him to show the wonders of the universe.

Oliver has said that his art explores big ideas like growth, change, birth, death, and new beginnings. He also focuses on ideas like immortality and "redemption." His paintings create worlds where "animals, plants, and humans interact in surprising scenes." These scenes often have a mysterious and deep meaning. For example, a painting of a person in front of tall bushes is not just a garden scene. It is titled "Theseus and the Labyrinth," hinting at a deeper story.

Oliver is also famous for designing scarves for Hermès. Hermès is a well-known French fashion company. This partnership began in 1980. Hermès asked Lawrence Marcus of the fancy department store Neiman Marcus if he knew an American artist who could design a scarf with a Southwestern theme. Marcus told Hermès about Oliver. His design was a big hit! Oliver went on to create 17 designs for Hermès over 32 years. He is the only American artist to have designed for Hermès.

Oliver's artwork can be found in the collection of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.