Paul Collins (artist) facts for kids

Paul Lamar Collins was born on December 11, 1934. He is an American painter known for his realistic style. Collins is famous for how well he uses textures, light, and small details in his artwork.

Paul Collins' Art Journey

Paul Collins' amazing art came from lots of study, trying new things, and never giving up. He was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan when he was very young. Paul went to school in Ada Township, Michigan and Grand Rapids. At first, people told him not to take art seriously because it seemed hard to make a career out of it.

Collins grew up in a neighborhood where most people were Black. He found a lot of encouragement from Randy Brown, an artist and poet who moved from the South. Brown convinced Paul to follow his dream of becoming an artist. Randy Brown's art studio was close to Paul's home, and Paul often visited it while he was still in school. This is where he first tried painting with oils, which is now his favorite way to paint. He read everything he could about oil painting techniques and the science behind paints. He also tried watercolors, tempera, and even acrylics for a short time. But oil paints and pencils are still the main tools he uses.

After high school, Collins and Brown started a business called Ran-Col. This design studio helped Collins improve his skills in design, layout, and lettering. They were especially good at creating large-scale graphics. This kept Paul's art skills sharp.

Around this time, Collins started selling his paintings at art fairs. He was upset by how Black people were often shown in art with exaggerated features. So, he decided to paint large pictures showing Black faces in a respectful way. Soon after, he spent two years traveling in West Africa to create a series of paintings about his family's heritage.

Collins' Art in the 20th Century

In 1969, Collins traveled to West Africa with his oldest son, Michael. There, Paul studied and painted the people of Senegal and Gambia in their everyday lives. This collection of paintings was called "Black Portrait of an African Journey." It was shown in art galleries all over Africa, Europe, and the United States. Critics really liked the series. The Detroit Free Press newspaper said that the trip to Africa made Collins known as a powerful new artist who showed the human experience. Many of these paintings were even featured in the 1972 movie "Save the Children" by Paramount Pictures. The government of Senegal honored him by naming a street after him: Rue Monsieur Paul Collins.

A few years later, while at a United Nations meeting with Unicef in New York, Chief Fools Crow from the Pine Ridge Reservation invited Collins to live with his people. The Chief wanted Paul to paint another part of his heritage. So, in 1972, Collins moved to the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian reservations in South Dakota. He spent time documenting the lives of Native Americans. His series of thirty paintings, "Other Voices – A Native American Tableau," was shown in New York City and Paris.

During this time, Collins also helped connect the Sioux Indians with the United States government. With the help of his friend, Michigan representative Guy Vanderjagt, the Sioux and other tribes honored Collins. They made him a full brother and gave him the name "Bright Eagle." Collins wrote and drew pictures for an article about these experiences in Ebony Magazine in June 1973.

In 1975, Collins was asked to create a huge mural, 18 by 8 feet, of Gerald R. Ford, who was from Grand Rapids. This mural is displayed at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. It shows different parts of Ford's life as a President, an athlete, a father, and a husband. The mural became famous across the country and was praised for its "strong and dignified presentation of Gerald R. Ford." The mural and its images were also published in a book called Gerald R. Ford – A Man in Perspective in 1976.

In 1981, Collins created the "Ford Museum Commemorative Poster" to celebrate the opening of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For Anheuser-Busch's 10th Anniversary, Collins contributed to their "Great Kings of Africa" series. His painting, "Shaka, King of Zulus," finished in 1976, was one of the first four portraits made for this series. It highlighted the important history of great African leaders. Collins was also in a Budweiser TV commercial that celebrated the first showing of the TV series "Roots."

A year later, Collins showed "The Special Olympics Collection" for the first time at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.. This eight-piece series is still there today as a permanent exhibit. Collins spent almost three years going to international games, sketching children, helping coaches, and giving out medals. He created this collection to help raise money for the Special Olympics, as their old ways of fundraising were not enough anymore.

"Great Beautiful Black Women," a collection showing the journey of Black women from Africa to today, was first shown at the Chicago Cultural Center in 1978. Important figures in history, like Rosa Parks, Wilma Rudolph, and Coretta Scott King, were there for the unveiling in Chicago. This collection was supposed to tour for two years but ended up touring for five years because it was so popular. It highlighted the roles of many Black women who were part of the Civil Rights Movement, which changed the United States forever.

In 1979, Collins started a growing collection called "Contributions to the History of the United States of America." This series features people who fought for human dignity and human rights, such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Rosa Parks. It also includes "Liberty and Justice," a mural showing important moments in the shaping of the United States. The painting of "Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad" has become a national symbol. This image is used in history books, school books, children's books, and museums. More than a million posters of it have been sold worldwide. Parts of this collection are always on display at the Van Andel Museum and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan.

Moving on to paint everyday people doing amazing things, Collins finished the "America at Work" series in 1983. It was first shown at the Great Hall of the United States Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. This series continues to be popular and grow, with new paintings added over time. The collection is always on display at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In 1987, Collins traveled to the Middle East. The result was "The Voices of Israel." These paintings show the unique mix of cultures and religions that make up Israel, a country with old traditions but also a new identity. Without taking sides in politics or religion, Collins captured the people of Israel as they are. This twenty-five-piece collection toured Israel and the United States, supported by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. During his two-year stay, Collins was asked to create a mural to celebrate Israel's 40th anniversary by the Association for Promoting Tourism.

1989 marked Collins’ return to Africa to complete the series called "Kenya: In the Beginning." This project was requested by the Bartek Corporation. It captured the unique qualities of the Turkana, Samburu, and Maasai tribes. The fifteen paintings were first shown in Kenya and have been used for many fundraising events. The collection is now at the headquarters of Bartek Corporation in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Spaulding for Children in Detroit, Michigan.

Collins then went to the Pacific Rim, moving to Omihachiman, Japan, in 1994. This was requested by Amway Japan Corporation. By living in Japanese culture, he created paintings that helped people in the Western world understand the customs, rituals, and harmony of the Japanese people. The collection was first shown in 1997 at the Megaro Gajoun Museum in Tokyo, Japan, and also at the Kawara Museum in Omihachiman, Japan.

In 1998, Collins was honored when the International Peace Center asked him to represent the United States. He brought a sixty-piece collection called "Visions" to help restart the annual International Arts Festival in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The theme of the event was "Healing," aiming to help people recover from the scars of war. The opening night at the Collegium Artisticum brought together an emotional group of people who had not seen each other since the war ended. While he was there, he acted as a friendly ambassador for the arts community. He invited artists from Banja Luka to join the art program in Sarajevo.

Collins' Art in the 21st Century

In 2000, he showed "Who is Key West?" a series of paintings that capture the special feeling of a unique part of the United States. Collins knew that visitors came to enjoy the island and the interesting people who make Key West special. So, he painted these characters in a fourteen-piece series. The collection was shown at the Key West Museum of Art and History until 2014. This museum was voted Florida's best museum in 2007 by Florida Magazine.

In 2004, the "Founders of a Dream Mural" was unveiled in Havana, Cuba, at the Simon Bolivar Museum. This happened during the opening ceremonies of the International Arts Festival. His work from the "Embargo of the Angels" series was also shown at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana.

Collins has also designed many important awards and symbols. He created the Martin Luther King, Jr. Non-Violent Peace Prize Medal. Coretta Scott King asked him to make this for the center's highest honor. This award has been given to leaders like Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, President Jimmy Carter, and Desmond Tutu. He also designed the Challenger 7 Space Shuttle logo, which celebrated the first U.S. woman in space. And he created the Presidential Fitness Mural for President Carter's time in office.

His artwork has been seen not only in art galleries, from the Pushkin Museum in Moscow to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., but also in many libraries, schools, gyms, correctional institutes, community centers, and hospitals. He continues to give talks to students, teaching children about other cultures through his art and life experiences. Collins has painted many murals on school walls and given the rights to reproduce them to scholarship funds. Collins has received many awards for his work over the years, including the Mead Book Award, The Tadlow Fine Arts Award, The People's Choice Award in Paris, The Golden Centaur of Italy, and the Ceba Award for Excellence. He was named one of the top twenty painters in America by the Watson-Guptill Publication. He has also served on several important boards for different organizations, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board in Atlanta and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

He was the President of the Greater Grand Rapids Fund, where he helped raise over $350,000 from different companies. This money was used to start the "Teens Summer Jobs Program," which created over 600 summer jobs. Collins also worked with President Gerald R. Ford and Senator Glenn Steil on the Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth Campaign. Their goal was to fix up the existing Seidman Youth Center and build another center across town.

Where Paul Collins' Art Has Been Shown

Paul Collins' art has been shown all over the world and in many parts of the United States.

Worldwide Exhibitions

• Dakar, Senegal
• Nairobi, Kenya
• Jerusalem, Israel
• Lagos, Nigeria
• Sarajevo, Bosnia
• Freeport, Grand Bahamas
• Omihachiman, Japan
• Tokyo, Japan
• Paris, France
• Moscow, Russia
• Old Havana, Cuba
• Tel Aviv, Israel

United States Exhibitions

• New York
• Washington, DC
• Ohio
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Virginia
• Michigan
• Louisiana
• Delaware
• Massachusetts
• Pennsylvania
• Maryland
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• California
• Tennessee
• Arizona
• New Jersey
• Minnesota
• South Dakota
• Vermont