ArtTour International Magazine
- Jim Fitzpatrick
“The Art of Perserverance”
True courage is manifested not in inexperienced willingness, but rather in determination to succeed in the face of suffering. This is as true in life as it is in art. Self-taught American photographer and artist, Jim Fitzpatrick, is the rare soul who has persevered with such courage, time and time again, in pursuit of his passions— athletic, professional, and artistic.
Fitzpatrick willed himself into his childhood dream of becoming a professional Roller Derby skater, traveling the world doing what he loved. After injuries ended his skating career, he eventually recovered and transitioned into a career as a firefighter and acting deputy fire marshal. In the wake of injuries that he suffered in a fire, Jim went through years of physical therapy and treatments in order to regain mobility. During this time, he returned to his childhood passions of drawing and photography, not only as a distraction from his chronic pain, but also as a means of acceptance and perseverance. Reinvigorated, he began reaching out to help others find hope and purpose amidst chronic pain and other difficulties. As he reminds us, “We always need to be aware that, when one door in life closes, there may be another door ready to open. Creating art and photography has been my door!” Indeed, Jim has taken advantage of every open door.
And, in some cases, he has even broken them down to realize his passions. Thirteen years ago, Jim not only helped revive the San Francisco Bay Bombers, but he also served as their coach and general manager. Jim has also published three photo books:
“Roller Derby Classics...and More!"; "I Have a Chin! A Japanese Chin" (a children's story); and "When I Shot Good and Bad Guys (who wrestled at the Cow Palace)." All the while, Jim also continued to give back through his drawing and photography. As he says, “Having art and photography to go back to has been a blessing for me. So, I’d like to inspire others through my works and experiences! I want to make sure that, with my art, I share a positive message, one giving hope to others that they still have other opportunities or paths.”
Over the years, he has held three solo art exhibitions. The first was held when he was in 8th grade and attending St Anne's School in San Francisco. The second was held in 2011 at the LC Gallery in the Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco, where Senator Leland Yee made an appearance to view Jim’s portrait of him. The following year, Jim held an exhibition at ManCave Memorabilia in San Mateo, CA. There, he displayed some of his works of famed boxer Mike Tyson, who made a special appearance. His work has since been displayed in two Manhattan locations: at the Rio Gallery Space in 2018 and the Viviana Puello Art Gallery in 2019.
In the same year, Jim received a special Certificate of Recognition from Congresswoman Jackie Speier, commending his efforts to support others with chronic pain, service as a firefighter, and art achievements. No stranger to recognition, Fitzpatrick has been selected by Art Tour International Magazine as a Top 60 Master of Contemporary Art for 8 consecutive years (2014 - 2021). He was also selected as a Top 20 Fine Art Photographer in 2017, as well as an ATIM Artist of the Decade in 2020 and a recipient of the ARTYA Award in 2020.
jim-fitzpatrick.pixels.com