George Hunt, Iconic Blues Artist, Created History on Canvas

Artist George Hunt's "Dancin' Blues." (Photos by George Hunt/

LongRiver Entertainment Group)

     For Memphis artist George Hunt, his use of bold and vivacious acrylic colors, which he juxtaposed with broad brush strokes on canvas, contrasted with his meek and mild-mannered personality.
     Hunt was a visual storyteller who applied swatches of color to his subjects and collaged them with various material on occasion for a low relief effect. You might say his artwork spoke for him.
     On Dec. 4, his own voice went silent. He was 85.
     The body of work that Hunt produced and the themes that drew his interest – blues musicians, civil rights, historical figures – could not be mistaken for the output of a run-of-the-mill artist. 

Artist George Hunt

     In fact, Hunt, a cubist/collagist/abstractionist, created artwork with Picassoesque shapes and distortions. This style eventually catapulted him to a higher plateau in the marketplace and elsewhere.
     Though Pablo Picasso was an influence, Hunt was reputed for his portrayal of the African-American experience in the Deep South. His subjects, in essence, were derived from a consciousness of self, a love of blues music, and his own life experiences. 
     Willis Drinkard, proprietor of the former Gestine’s Gallery at 156 Beale St., provided managerial support for Hunt from 1989 to 2004. “He was just local until we began working together,” he said. “Then he became an international artist.”
     Hunt’s meteoric rise to prominence began in 1992. Drinkard said he, Hunt and David Simmons (former president of the Blues Foundation and Hunt’s business partner) urged the Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival to create a commemorative poster.
     “That was the real start,” said Drinkard, who was inspired by the festival posters in New Orleans and thought about Hunt. The relationship with Memphis In May was then sealed.
     He said they were flabbergasted that Hunt would sell out of the prints and posters that year and believed success was imminent for the artist. It was also beneficial for the gallery. 
     “He had success after success,” said Drinkard, noting that he and Hunt “went to New York about four times and had a ton of success” at the New York Art Expo in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
     The gallery was on a roll, he said. So was Hunt, whose colorful and evocative paintings, such as “Blues Man” and others, ended up in the homes of patrons and businesses near and far.
     The blues were paying dividends. In 1996, Hunt was commissioned to paint 26 portraits for the Blues & Legends Hall of Fame Museum in Robinsonville, Miss. A large mural was also included.
     Hunt’s “America Cares/Little Rock Nine,” created in 1997, became a U.S. Postage Stamp in 2005 as part of a series called “To Form A More Than Perfect Nation.” In 1998, he was selected the featured artist for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum’s American Music Master’s annual conference.
     In 2002, the U.S. Congress declared 2003 as the “Year of the Blues” and named Hunt as the official artist. He created 26 paintings depicting the history of the blues and reaped a whirlwind of success.
     The artist created posters for blues festivals in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Colorado and Louisiana while continuing to create posters for the annual Beale Street Music Festival – for a total of 28.
     The news of Hunt’s death drew varied responses and reflections:
     Here’s what James L. Holt, President and CEO of Memphis in May, said in a statement: “George was a dear friend and an incredibly gifted artist who always had a smile on his face and never met a stranger.” 
     Municipal Court Judge Jayne R. Chandler said this about the iconic artist: “He and his wife (Marva) stood in the gap after my mon passed. I’m so glad to be called his ‘daughter.’”
     A patron and longtime friend of Hunt’s daughter, Harlyn Yeargin, Chandler added, “He is truly a Memphis icon, and he will be truly missed.” 
     Using icon as an acronym, she said, “I’m thankful to have known this Iridescent, Comical, One-of-a-kind and Nurturing man. His spirit will live on.” 
     Born in rural Louisiana near Lake Charles, Hunt grew up in Texas and Hot Springs, Ark. He matriculated at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff on a football scholarship and studied art.
     He went on to the University of Memphis for postgraduate studies and then to New York University. He spent three decades teaching art and coaching at George Washington Carver High School in Memphis.
     “He always said art was his legacy,” said Drinkard, recalling a conversation with Hunt. “We’re going to miss a real icon when it comes to the blues and art.” 
     He said, “George was one decent human being.”

Love of teaching shaped Dr. Sarah Chandler's legacy

      She was a woman of “grace, substance, intelligence and wisdom” – attributes that endeared Dr. Sarah Chandler to family and friends. Many noted her “good looks” but it was her penchant for reading and her love of teaching that shaped her legacy.

      Those who knew Dr. Chandler were impressed with her skillset and her commitment to equip students with the skill to read books that could take them anywhere they wanted to go in the world. She taught sixth-grade and retired in 1992 after serving as principal of Dunn Elementary.

Dr. Sarah Chandler and her daughter Judge Jayne Chandler.

      Dr. Chandler died Friday, Nov. 28, following a long illness. She was 84.

      Herman Morris Jr., a former student, said he loved Dr. Chandler at first sight. “I met Dr. Chandler when I was in the 4th grade and again in the 6th grade at Lester Elementary School. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, other than my own mother.

      “She was well read. She said you can go anywhere in the world and do anything that you dreamed by reading a book. So I wanted to be well read,” said Morris, attorney for the city of Memphis. “She inspired me and my classmates to be excellent. We all wanted to please her.”

      Dr. Chandler set the bar high for herself by earning a master’s degree and a doctorate. She valued her family and challenged them and others to get an education, no matter what rung of the socioeconomic ladder was the starting point. 

      “Sarah Chandler was the cheerleader for the underdog and the downtrodden – always trying to help those at a disadvantage to be able to enjoy the benefits of the ‘haves.’ That is one of the reasons she worked hard to ensure that her students were good readers and orators,” said Daryl Leven, Dr. Chandler’s son-in-law. “She knew that without those skills, students would struggle in adult life and have difficulty in being successful.”

      Dr. Chandler also challenged her children.

      “I remember her buying a set of encyclopedias – the animal encyclopedias and the science encyclopedias – and encouraged us to read them,” said her son, Horace L. “Randy” Chandler Jr. of Houston, Texas. “If you’d ask her a question, she would say, ‘Look it up and come back and we’ll talk about it.’”

      Chandler would challenge his three children as well. He grew up with a sister and they were taught that success demands hard work. “I had the kind of mother that was perfect for a boy,” said Chandler. “I’m going to miss her.”

      She also was the kind of mother who was perfect for a “village,” said her daughter, City Court Judge Jayne Chandler.

      “She was an educator and teacher and saw children as her own. Although she was human with human frailties, she was perfect for me. And God blessed me to have her as my mother.”

      Judge Chandler said she was raised to be independent. She recalled her mother giving her an American Express card when she was 18. “She wanted me to be independent and instilled in me a sense of truth and righteousness and a desire to help people. I had to do the right thing.”

      Dr. Chandler also encouraged honesty and a higher level of ethics, said Judge Chandler, recalling her election to the bench after detractors had railed against her.

      “When I ran for judge my Mom, like others, did not think I could win,” she said, “because I was a young, newly licensed attorney with no money. However, she supported me financially and encouraged me to pursue my dreams.”

      Inger UpChurch was smitten by her aunt’s intelligence and commitment to family.

      “Some people called her Sarah, but she was ‘Auntie Mae’ to me. She knew the family history and was a strong advocate. She encouraged us to stick together.”

      Dr. Chandler wouldn’t accept failure, added UpChurch, who manages the Cornelia Crenshaw and Gaston Park branch libraries. “When I wanted to give up, she would say, ‘I’ll kick you in the butt if you quit.’ She was strong and hard on us, but loving nonetheless.”

      She was a true Renaissance woman, said UpChurch, a woman who juxtaposed her gifts as an artist, songwriter, wordsmith, art critic, and lover of music, history, and the game of Jeopardy with her lifetime dedication to community service.

      It was Dr. Chandler’s love of community that prompted her and lifelong friend Josephine Bridges to found a charitable organization in 1953 that they named JUGS, an acronym for Just Us Girls. The letters now stand for Justice, United, Generosity, Service, International. There are as many as 11 chapters in the U.S. and Bahamas.

      Dr. Chandler graduated from Manassas High School and received her undergraduate degree from LeMoyne College. She earned a master’s from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by a certificate in library science from Memphis State University. She was conferred a doctorate in education, administration and supervision from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

      Dr. Chandler will be eulogized at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, during a family graveside service at Memphis National Cemetery, 3568 Townes Ave., at Jackson Avenue.

      R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home has charge.