BY DR. REBEKAH MCCLOUD, GUEST WRITER TO THE TIMES
LONGWOOD – Renowned artist, Patrick Noze, is one of the artists invited by the Puzzled Peace Initiative founder Valada Flewellyn to create a piece for the launch of the initiative. Patrick Noze, a third-generation Haitian-born sculptor and painter, has been an artist for many years. His father Robert Noze and grandfather Andre Dimanche, both sculptors, encouraged Patrick’s interest in art. His mother’s side of the family wanted him to be a lawyer. When he was five, he sold his first painting for $50 to a tourist.
Noze came to the US in 1976 at age nine. As a Haitian in America, he realized “they looked unfavorably on immigrants.” In search of his self-identity, he taught himself about his culture. As a result, in 1995, he painted his most relevant piece, Combat De Vertières. The battle against Napoleon Bonaparte was the first successful Black revolt in the world that freed Haiti from slavery.
Noze, a painter, sculptor, instructor, and portrait and editorial illustrator (for children’s books), owns the Noze Art Studio (Nozeartstudio.com) in Longwood. He teaches impressionism through classical painting and drawing (oils, acrylics, watercolor, and charcoal) to professional artists, beginners, and children. In his Curator’s/Artist’s Statement, Noze says, “Art is the master key that unlocks the barriers of diversity. Art brings individual cultures of the people of the world into clarity on canvas or in three-dimensional forms for future generations to value and appreciate.”
Noze is passionate about highlighting the involvement of Black artists in the field. “We are almost a non-existent group of people… Sometimes we’ve been told we are inferior. Sometimes a Black man’s work, even extraordinary, is called accidental. That’s the way people try to keep us inferior. If Black people (primarily children) don’t know about us, they don’t know they can be an artist,” he said.
His advice to aspiring artists is, “Never doubt you can achieve your goal. Keep pursuing your dreams. Try hard. You’ll be remembered because you tried. When I went to art school, I was rejected from the door. They only accepted me because they had no choice. Even now, some galleries will not accept my work because I have images of Black people prominently in my art. My art speaks loudly about Blackness.”
My Art is a God-given talent, but I gave up on it for three years. God asked me what I was doing with the gift he gave me. It was divine intervention. He gave me 12 paintings to do. I have done eight so far. “Healed by the Glory of God” is the first of 12. When I started painting again, my door never stopped knocking.
Speaking of the Puzzled Peace Initiative, Noze said, “In some places, we have the right talent but the wrong color. We don’t need validation to be who we are.” He noted that Black artists and their work must be included in the canon. Also, Black artists of the past must be given credit for their work. “Identity is relevant; release the truth. Our art is a part of art history, but many artists are never revealed as Black men. Our salvation is our intellect. Educating ourselves is important. The biggest fear of some is an educated Black man. We need books, books, and more books. In America, you cannot speak without remembering the injustices done to you as a person of color. Until we can stand alone, the puzzle will not be solved at all. The way we love, sing, laugh, and the food we eat is a way to teach history,” he concluded.
In addition to his art studio, Noze mainly creates artwork for private commissions and custom paints vintage automobiles. The piece he created for the Puzzled Peace Initiative launch, is currently on display at The Noze Art Studio.
