‘He went straight to your heart' Seaside remembers Woodie Long in retrospective exhibit

The retrospective exhibit at Seaside’s Lyceum Gateway Building celebrates more than the work of a local artist, it celebrates the man and his rich life and legacy.

The exhibit, which showcases folk artist Woodie Long’s work, is organized by Eileen West Gallery in collaboration with Long’s widow, Dot. Long passed away in October.

“I can’t begin to tell you the greatness of Woodie Long,” said West, who began showing his work in 1990.

West knew Long before he became an artist. She knew him first as a banjo picker in Andalusia, Ala.

“He wasn’t a very good banjo player, though,” said West.

For more photos from Long's studio, click here.

When Long first picked up a paintbrush in 1987, he was 45 years old and had never painted anything smaller than a house. He had no formal training.

As a university-trained artist, however, West first understood the realm of folk art when she saw Long’s work.

“It’s almost like great artists channel something through their work. Somehow they are able to express the emotions they are feeling through their artwork and others are affected,” said West. “Woodie’s expression was pure. It poured out of him like water out of a well.”

West’s summation of the artist’s raw, natural talent is echoed by another gallery owner, Marcia Weber. She met Long at an arts and crafts show in Andalusia in 1988 when he was just beginning to paint.

“Dot and Woodie were there and had some of his artwork out on a little card table. He was trying to sell it for $10 or $15. His art spoke to me. Like an epiphany, I felt he had what it took to go all the way. I said, ‘No,’ your art is worth more. I bought it for $50 and made him a promise to sell his other pieces to everyone else for at least that amount or more,” said Weber. “He was an incredible painter regardless of category.”

Long’s artwork is what propelled Weber to open her gallery of folk art in Montgomery in 1991. “I was so lucky he and Dot wanted to work with me,” she said. “You can’t underestimate the fact that he was successful because of her. Woodie was generous to a fault, down to earth and genuine. That’s why the universe was generous back.”

West agreed. “If someone needed help, he called them; he didn’t wait to be called. He would send them money. So many people come up to Dot and tell her how he touched their lives,” she said.

“He went straight to your heart. He loved life. He loved people and they loved him back. It came through in his art through the expressions on his people’s faces,” said Weber. “He could have been a stand-up comic if he had wanted. Through her handling of the business end of it, Dot allowed Woodie to be able to stay in his childlike wonder.”

“There are so many lives he touched,” added West. “He’s just beginning to be appreciated.”

Before the retrospective’s opening, Seaside Neighborhood School presented Dot with a framed photo of her late husband teaching an art class at the school.

The exhibit opened Nov. 21 with Woodie’s favorite chocolate cake.

A bunch of Woodie’s old pickin’ buddies came down from Andalusia to play. Their final number of the day was “Amazing Grace.”  

The 40 or 50 pieces in the exhibit encompass his life’s work from beginning to the most recent, including two pieces he completed in May. The pieces are from Dot’s private collection, including some that have never been previously shown.

The exhibit continues through January on Saturdays and Sundays from noon - 5 p.m.

Comments may be made on Facebook at “Woodie Long Remembered.”  

“He will live on in our hearts forever,” said Weber. “He was a dear friend and I am honored to be able to call him ‘friend.’ The life he lived is truly unique.”