 Jack
Beverland, "Mr. B"
Mr.
"B" is a self-taught Southern folk artist who finds
peace of mind in his special kind of art. Born into a poor
family in 1939, his mother moved him and his older brother
to Florida after his father died. Their existence was meager
but the experience gave him a strong drive for success. Starting
at the bottom of the corporate ladder, his work ethic and
resultant long hours of labor placed him at the top of one
of America's large chain stores. In 1991 he was forced into
retirement after 32 years of loyal employment. Feeling betrayed
and helpless, his emotions turned to anger and rage; but,
with the help of his loving family and his own strong will,
Mr. B conquered his angry beast within through his art. He
portrays in his works the simple life - the life that most
of us want to live - the days of our childhood - the dreams
we once had and most importantly, the way we would all like
it to be.
Selected
Credits:
Who's
Who in American Art, 1999 - 2004
"Extraordinary
Interpretations" by Gary Monroe, 2003
VSA
Arts International Conference, Washington, D.C., 2004
Works
included in numerous museum exhibits and private collections
Recent
News:
Mr.
B won first prize for his body of work and an invitation to
exhibit at "Art First", an international,
juried exhibition of original art featuring artists with disabilities
put on by The Auxiliary of University Medical Center at
Princeton, Princeton, New Jersey in March 2005.
The
Mennello Museum of American Art has also extended an invitation
to exhibit his work during the Festival of Southern Art
and Culture, a partnership with Central Florida Folk
and Project Imagination in March.
Click
on any image below to enlarge:
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