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RESOLUTION NO. 05-260
A RESOLUTION NAMING JAMES GIBSON
"AMBASSADOR OF THE ARTS" AND
PROCLAIMING JUNE 28, 2005, AS "JAMES
GIBSON DAY" IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY,
FLORI DA
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County,
Florida, has made the following determinations:
1. James Gibson, Ft. Pierce resident and one of the most visible
painters from the original group of the African American landscape artists
now popularly referred to as "The Highwaymen" continues to set the
standard for community involvement and enhancement of the cultural
fabric of St. Lucie County.
2. Gibson, along with Alfred Hair and a number of other young Black
men and one woman, sought to overcome segregation and a lack of
opportunity in the oppressive Jim Crow South of the late 1950's by creating
a dream of becoming professional artists. This, at a time when most Blacks
were not even allowed to walk into the front door of an art gallery, much less
have their paintings hung in one.
3. Creating landscape paintings that reflected an idealized rural
Florida and selling these artworks on the highways and byways of the State,
often from the trunks of their cars while the paint was still wet, Gibson and his
friends created a cottage industry that is still emulated by budding artists
today and collected internationally. James Gibson counts himself among
the original hand full of Highwaymen that started painting in the late 1950's
and went on to practice their trade continuously for the ensuing 40-plus
years.
4. Additionally, James Gibson continues to inspire today's youth by
mentoring them in the ways of becoming an artist, Most recently, on June
20, under the sponsorship of the Ft. Pierce Weed and Seed program, James
Gibson held an open four-hour instructional forum for over 60 children during
which anyone who wanted to learn about art had this noted artist for a
personal tutor, for free.
5. On June 10,2005, Florida's First Lady, Columba Bush, in collaboration
with the not-for-profit organization Arts for a Complete Education/Florida
Alliance for Arts Education, hosted an awards luncheon at the 2005
ACE/FAAE Summer Leadership Summit in Sarasota. During the Summit, the
First Lady recognized some of Florida's arts leaders and ambassadors for their
commitment to enhancing arts programs and strengthening relationships
with domestic and international arts communities. Mrs. Bush presented a
medallion to James Gibson, proclaiming the renowned artist a Florida
"Ambassador to the Arts."
6. Previously, in 2004, James Gibson, along with Alfred Hair and the
other original Highwaymen painters, were inducted into the Florida Artist's
Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Tallahassee, attended by Governor Jeb Bush
and a number of other dignitaries.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County
Commissioners of st. Lucie County, Florida:
1. This Board does hereby name James Gibson as "Ambassador to the
Arts" and does hereby proclaim June 28, 2005 as "JAMES GIBSON DA Y" in
St. Lucie County, Florida.
2, A copy of this resolution shall be presented to Mr. James Gibson as
a token of this Board's appreciation,
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 28th day of June, 2005.
ATTEST:
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ST. LUCIE C,?O~TY, FLOR~-
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BY:0~)<ÇH~Rt~~-
APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM AND
CORREC~SS:
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COUNTY ATT
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