James F. Hutchinson (1932–2023) is a prominent oil

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

. He was inducted into the

Florida Artists Hall of Fame Florida Artists Hall of Fame recognizes artists who have made significant contributions to art in Florida. It was established by the Florida Legislature in 1986. There is a Florida Artists Hall of Fame Wall on the Plaza Level in the rotunda of the ...

in 2011.

Early years

James Frederick Hutchinson moved to Florida from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in the early 1940s. In 1947, Hutchinson began visiting A.E. Backus, Hutchinson's brother-in-law A. E. "Beanie" Backus, who was married to Hutchinson's sister Patsy, and started painting along his side. Backus and Hutchinson were very close friends in the late 1940s and remained so for their continued careers. They traveled to

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and all over the Florida coast, painting many beautiful landscapes back to back. During the 1950s

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, Hutchinson joined the Navy and was stationed in Guam. He spent his service drawing cartoons for the Stars and Stripes newspaper. After the Navy, he moved back to Vero and began working for

Waldo E. Sexton Waldo Emmerson Sexton (23 March 1885 – 28 December 1967) was an entrepreneur whose enterprises have attracted visitors to Vero Beach, Florida, since the 1930s and remain of value to the community, industry, tourists, artists, historians and ho ...

McKee Botanical Garden The McKee Botanical Garden (area of 18 acres (7.3 hectares)) is a non-profit, subtropical botanical garden in Vero Beach, Florida. It is located at 350 U.S. Highway 1, Vero Beach, Florida. History It was founded in 1929, when Waldo E. Sexton an ...

and Driftwood Inn and Restaurant. He met his wife Joan while attending

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

Career

In the 1950s and 1960s, The Highwaymen, a group of African-American artists including Alfred Hair and Harold Newton, became close friends of Backus and Hutchinson. The Highwaymen emulated the art they saw in Backus' studio and sold quick, stylized pieces on Highway

US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

and

A1A State Road A1A (SR A1A) is a major north–south Florida State Road that runs along the Atlantic Ocean, from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Fernandina Beach, just south of Georgia on Amelia Island. It is the main road throug ...

. Although Backus and Hutchinson admired and supported the energy put into the Highwaymen's work, they kept to their own entrenched and studied styles. Once married, James and Joan lived in the now historic Golden Gate Building in Stuart Florida, when the Owen K. Murphy Foundation and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations offered them the opportunity to live on the Brighton Seminole Reservation, where Hutchinson painted the

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

and

Miccosukee The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the U.S. state of Florida. They were part of the Seminole nation until the mid-20th century, when they organized as an independent tribe, receiving fed ...

people for five years, starting in 1959. The Hutchinsons lived on the reservation with the Seminoles for those five years, producing 10 paintings a year for the State of Florida, resulting in 50 paintings depicting the Native Americans. During that time, Hutchinson became close friends with many of the Seminole elders, such as

Billy Bowlegs Holata Micco (alternate spellings: Halpatter-Micco, Halbutta Micco, and Halpuda Mikko, meaning Alligator Chief; known by whites as Chief Billy Bowlegs or Billy Bolek) (c. 1810 – 1859) was an important leader of the Seminoles in Florida during ...

, Charlie Cypress, Charlotte Tommy, and

Bill Osceola Bill Osceola (30 June 1919 – 16 April 1995) was the first president of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. When the federal government marked his tribe for termination, Osceola came up with the idea of creating a rodeo as a tourist attraction to ra ...

. Much like his brother-in-law, A.E. Backus, James Hutchinson became known for his Florida landscapes and seascapes but what distinctively separated him was his depictions of the Seminole people and culture. He cultivated a large following of collectors in Miami, Palm Beach and Vero Beach. Eventually, a large appreciation of his work was collected all over Florida and the United States. To this day, his work can be found in private collections and in many Florida museums. In 1997, the Hutchinsons moved to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, where James painted the natural beauty of Hawaii's landscapes and its people. His Hawaiian depictions gathered a strong group of collectors throughout the islands. After spending more than a decade in Hawaii, the Hutchinsons returned to their original home in Sewalls Point, Florida. Since their return, Hutchinson has been featured in several shows both private and public along the

Treasure Coast The Treasure Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is located on Florida's East Coast, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and comprising Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. The region, whose name refers to the Spanish Treasure ...

, including showings at

The Elliott Museum The Elliott Museum, located at 825 N.E. Ocean Blvd. on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida, United States, focuses on art, history, and technology. Named after the prolific inventor Sterling Elliott, the museum features a changing exhibition gal ...

Singer Island Singer Island is a peninsula on the Atlantic coast of Palm Beach County, Florida, in the South Florida metropolitan area. Most of it is in the city of Riviera Beach, but the town of Palm Beach Shores occupies its southern tip. Its latitude of ...

, Jupiter Island Town Hall, many galleries in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, and the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art in Daytona. Hutchinson's work is exhibited at Florida museums and throughout the world, including at the

Florida Governor's Mansion The Florida Governor's Mansion (also called The People's House of Florida) is a historic U.S. residence in Tallahassee, Florida and the official residence of the governor of Florida. On July 20, 2006, it was added to the U.S. National Register of ...

, the

Florida Capitol The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, is an architecturally and historically significant building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Capitol is at the intersection of Apalachee Parkway and South ...

, Brighton Seminole Reservation, Miccosukee Reservation, Norwegian National Museum in Oslo, James Hutchinson Foundation of the Loewe Gallery at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

, the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the Hawaii Preparatory Academy's Isaac Center to name a few. In 2021, Hutchinson returned to the Island of Hawaii where he continued his passion for painting. On March 15 of 2023 he passed away at the age of 90 while painting at his easel.Jonathan Mattis
Stuart native James Hutchinson inducted into Florida Artists Hall of Fame
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 TCPalm (Treasure Coast)

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchinson, James F. Living people 20th-century American painters American male painters 21st-century American painters 21st-century American male artists People from Martin County, Florida Florida State University alumni 1932 births 20th-century American male artists