Woodie died 10/12/09 but his stories & joy live on his vibrant paintings. Come see his stories at the Woodie Long Art Gallery in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.
Woodie Long was the son of sharecropper. He was one of twelve children and worked in the fields from when he was three until the family moved to a housing project in Tampa, Florida when he was 14. Even so, Woodie never lost the love of the earth, and it permeated his art and his life. He also never lost the love of family and community, and both topics filled his canvases. He would often say that since he wasn’t good at writing he told his stories with paint. And he loved telling stories, whether it was spinning a tale with words or enlivening it with his paint brush. Those who had the pleasure of sharing an hour with Woodie still laugh about his granddaddy’s mule or riding in his daddy’s truck; they still marvel about his mamma’s love and grace in raising his father’s children by another woman. Though Woodie was a boy who grew up in poverty, with little education, he never let the negatives seep in, but he also never stopped worrying or caring about other people. His attitude – “Today’s another day of opportunity” – made a difference in the joy he shared with others.
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