Simmie Knox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simmie Knox
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Knox in 2025
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| Born | August 18, 1935 |
| Occupation | painter |
| Known for | Official White House portraits of Hillary and Bill Clinton |
| Children | 3 |
Simmie Lee Knox, born on August 18, 1935, is a famous American painter. He is well-known for painting the official White House portraits of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton. Simmie Knox was the first Black American artist ever chosen to paint a president's portrait.
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Early Life and Education
Simmie Knox was born in Aliceville, Alabama. His father was a carpenter and mechanic. When he was young, his parents separated. Simmie went to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm in Leroy, Alabama. He had eight cousins there.
Discovering Art
At age 13, Simmie was playing baseball when he was hit in the eye. Doctors suggested drawing to help him recover. His school in Mobile, Alabama, did not have art classes. However, the nuns who taught him saw his talent. They found someone to teach him art.
College Years
After high school, Knox studied at Delaware State College. He also worked in a textile factory. Later, he went to Tyler School of Art in Pennsylvania. There, he earned his master's degree. In 1972, he moved to the Washington, D.C. area.
Artistic Career
Knox started his career teaching art. He taught at Bowie State College in Maryland. He also taught at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. At first, he painted still life pictures. He sold them at a market.
Finding His Style
When Knox finished college, abstract art was very popular. But he found his true passion in painting portraits. In 1981, he decided to focus only on portraits. He once said, "The face is the most complicated thing there is." He loved the challenge of capturing what makes each face unique.
Famous Portraits
In 1976, Knox painted a portrait of Mary McLeod Bethune. She was an important educator and activist. This painting was shown in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
Comedian Bill Cosby helped make Knox more famous in the 1990s. Knox was asked to paint 12 members of the Cosby family. After that, he painted many other well-known people. These included boxing legend Muhammad Ali and Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Painting Presidents
In 2000, Simmie Knox was chosen for a very special job. He was asked to paint portraits of Senator Blanche Bruce and President Bill Clinton. This made him the first Black American artist to paint an official portrait of a U.S. president.
The paintings of Bill and Hillary Clinton took two years to finish. They were completed in 2002. The portraits were officially shown in June 2004. Today, they hang in the White House's East Wing.
Working as an Artist
Simmie Knox works from a small converted garage. It is next to his home in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is sometimes called "the unofficial portraitist for trailblazing African Americans." He has painted many important figures. These include U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Governor Andrew Cuomo. He also painted Oprah Winfrey and baseball star Hank Aaron.
In 2013, a short film was made about Knox's life. It was shown by the Delaware Humanities Forum. In 2018, Knox painted four African-American alumni from Vanderbilt University. Their portraits hang in Kirkland Hall, the administration building.
Exhibitions and Collections
Knox's art has been shown in important exhibitions. His paintings are also part of public art collections.
Notable Exhibitions
- Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1971 (Thirty-Second Biennial of Contemporary American Painting)
- Citizens Bank Center, Wilmington, Delaware, January to March 2013 (solo show)
Public Collections
You can find Knox's paintings in several public art collections. These include the Maryland State Art Collection. His work is also in the Oklahoma State Capitol Collection. The United States Senate also holds some of his paintings.
Personal Life
Simmie Knox has been married twice. He has a daughter named Sheri from his first marriage. With his current wife, Roberta, he has two children, Zachary and Amelia.
Gallery
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Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2000)
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Portrait of Joseph H. Rainey (2004)
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Portrait of Blanche Kelso Bruce (2001)
