
Subrina Berger
“When creating art . . . you cannot have a painting without music, especially jazz. Jazz inspires me when creating [sic], especially when creating works dealing with music and musicians.”
Hinds exhibit dates: January 11th through February 23rd, 2025
Biography:
Lenard Hinds was born on March 6, 1951, in Saint Louis, Missouri, to parents Leon and Essie
Hinds at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in the city’s Ville Neighborhood, where the family lived.
Hinds’ artistic interest began when he was young, watching television. “I started drawing when I was eight, copying images of cartoon characters like Mighty Mouse and his arch enemy Oil Can Harry. For a time, I thought being a cartoonist would be fun, but I never really took it that seriously . . .”.
However, he took music seriously, notably Rhythm and Blues, and as a young adult, he joined
his brother Jimmy and two friends, Michael and Andre Jones, in forming “The Concepts.” Our first big show was with Martha and The Vandellas. “We opened for the Dells and the Five Stairsteps but broke up after Michael joined the Marines, and the other members could not bear to replace him." Hinds later joined The Earls Incorporated who made a record in 1972. Not long afterward, he left Earls Incorporated to become part of the four-member group Image and signed a contract with Motown Records in 1980, which led to national openings for artists such as Pattie LaBelle and Mary Mary. The experience soured, and the group broke up, resulting in his turning to a life of crime.
In an interview with reporter James F. Wallace, Hinds acknowledged being sent to prison for
seven years. He obtained his General Education Development diploma (G.E.D) in 1989 before being released from prison in 1990 and took up painting. He sojourns now as a man of faith. “I’m just thankful God left me something else to fall back on.” and that something else was his love of art and a desire to paint. During this time, he also met artist Carole Wantz, who took an interest in him and encouraged him.
Self-taught, Hinds studied African American artists Robert Duncanson, Edward M. Bannister, Aaron Douglas, Archibald M. Motley, John Biggers, Henry Ossawa Tanner, and Kenneth Calvert, who received the Missouri Artist of the Year award in 2023. Hinds also credits European masters Vincent Van Gogh and Pierre-Auguste Renoir with influencing his development. After seeing Vincent's work, Lenard stated he studied Van Gogh's works and said, “I can do that.” Furthermore, Lenard stated, “When creating art . . . you cannot have a painting without music, especially jazz. Jazz inspires me when creating [sic], especially when creating works dealing with music and musicians.”
In 1985, Lenard drew a gorilla, which he discovered on the cover of National Geographic
magazine, and this began his journey into artistic development. This drawing impressed Carole Wantz, a good friend of Lenard's. She convinced him the drawing had great potential and had him frame the drawing. The framed drawing of the Gorilla was taken to Litho’s Gallery in University City, Missouri, where proprietors John and Linda Thomas sold the drawing almost immediately and requested two more drawings, which were also sold. Ultimately, this led to a solo exhibition at Litho’s Gallery. In the six years that followed, he created two hundred works in various media- pencil, charcoal, pastels, crayons, acrylics, but primarily oil on canvas.
Lenard has had exhibitions at Margaret Harwell Art Museum in Popular Buff, Missouri, The Old Court House in Saint Louis, Missouri, the South Shore Bank in Chicago, Illinois, in a Chicago gallery with artists Ann Carter and Kaoni Thomas in 1989, the Saint Louis City Hall Rotunda in 1986, and in a group exhibition at the Urban League of Saint Louis, Missouri – The Vaughn Culture Center, which Freida Wheaton created. He had exhibitions at Portfolio Gallery, where Robert Powell was the owner and curator. He participated in the Hands Up Don’t Shoot exhibition at Julia Davis Library, which Freida Wheaton also curated.
Lenard created a biblical series of twenty-one works of art, which were exhibited at a printing
show on 4th Street. He then recreated the artwork into a calendar. In 1999, he began teaching eighth-grade students in the Saint Louis Public School System. As a result, he received a Certificate of Appreciation for Commitment to Youth Development for dedication to Empowerment Role Model Experience on June 7, 1999, and another certificate from the University of Missouri Saint Louis (UMSL) on March 31, 2017 – In recognition and thanks for your commitment to Education and Creative Engagement in the Arts. ArtVantage Ltd: Legacy Project Oral History Interviews – All rights reserved