Jim Fitzpatrick, United States
Due to increasing physical issues, my dad will no longer be posting on this site. I will periodically be monitoring and upload his works. He appreciates all your support over the years!
-Vanessa
Jim is a self-taught artist and photographer, selected by Art Tour International as one of the Top 60 Masters of Contemporary Art for 2014 through 2023! He was also selected by Art Tour International as one of the Top 20 Fine Art Photographers for 2017 and one of ArtTour International's Artists of the Decade in 2020!
Over the years Jim has held a wide variety of jobs and experiences. Shortly after high school, while attending SF State in 1978, Jim became the photographer for the professional wrestling promotion which regularly held events at the Cow Palace by San Francisco. Shortly after that, he started training to skate professional Roller Derby which was one of his passions. Originally Jim was hired in 1978 to work on the track crew which set up the large, portable banked track they skated on. In 1980 he became a professional skater for the World Champion San Francisco Bay Bombers and skated in some amazing places like the Cow Palace and as far away as Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Tokyo Japan.
During his skating days, Jim also worked part-time at a health club as a fitness instructor and even worked for a house painter. Jim then became certified in shiatsu massage after shoulder injuries ended his skating career. Still wanting to be involved with Roller Derby he became a referee and in 1987 performed Roller Derby stunt skating in an MTV music video for McAuley Schenker Group for the song, 'Love Is Not A Game.
Jim then went to work for Dakin, Inc., a famous toy company, in their mailroom and later advanced into their traffic department where he held two different positions over the next couple of years. Jim then became a police clerk and later a police service technician. Then Jim became a fire inspector and was also a reserve cop for a short while. Later, when the inspector job was eliminated due to budget cuts he became a firefighter. For a while, he was the Acting Deputy Fire Marshal.
Over the years he's performed magic and entered several stage competitions. In his first, he and his son took 2nd place. Jim also performed a number of pay jobs as a clown magician, a serious magician, a strolling magician, and a magical Santa Claus.
After getting hurt at work during a fire he went through years of physical therapy and treatments to become more mobile. Not just one thing helped him by itself but a combination of working out, watching his posture and diet, Myofascial Release treatments, Prolotherapy Injections, and staying active helped give him a life again! Jim has been interviewed about it on TV and in newspaper articles. He hopes he can inspire others who live with chronic pain to not give up! In recent years Jim not only helped bring old school, professional Roller Derby and his old team, the San Francisco Bay Bombers back but became their coach and general manager. He also became one of the league's trainers, Northern California Rep, and one of the executive producers for their TV show. Jim joked, 'I guess that's one reason why I like to draw when I get a chance. It's my way of relaxing unless the drawing I'm working on is going bad. lol'
Jim has also published 3 photo books. His first, 'Roller Derby Classics...and more!' deals with the history of the sport and also his involvement in it. His second book was a children's book, 'I Have a Chin! A Japanese Chin' about his family's pet dog. His third book was 'When I Shot Good and Bad Guys (who wrestled at the Cow Palace)'. It contains some photos he took during that brief period of time when he worked for the wrestling promotion. In 2011 he met NFL Hall Of Fame legend Dick Butkus and got on board with Dick's Foundation's 'I Play Clean' campaign to end steroid abuse among young athletes. For more info and to take the 'I Play Clean' pledge visit www.iplayclean.org
Jim has held three solo art exhibitions to date. 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 located in the Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco. One of his works on display that day was of Senator Leland Yee who made an appearance during the exhibition. In March of 2012, he held his second exhibition at ManCave Memorabilia in San Mateo, CA. For that exhibition, he displayed some of his works of famed boxer Mike Tyson who made a special appearance. Jim and his family were granted a private meeting with Mike at which time Jim presented Mike with a pastel drawing he had done of the boxer and his family.
In March of 2013, Jim was one of several artists featured in the eBook 'Best of Activism in Art - I' by Sarah S. Vati. On June 10th of the same year, National Geographic editors published one of his photos as 'our favorite photos' in their Daily Dozen Share!
Since then Jim was selected by Art Tour International Magazine and featured in their 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 editions of their ATIM'S TOP 60 MASTERS OF CONTEMPORARY ART and their Top 20 Fine Art Photographers for 2017! The selection is made by a panel of art critics, gallery directors, and interior designers from Italy, Canada, and the USA! In early 2015 Jim was interviewed by Viviana Puello of Art Tour International Magazine, via Italy, for an 'Art 2 Heart' video episode and was also included in Art Tour International's most recent advertisement campaigns.
In 2015 he became the USA Project Competition Manager and Chief Lecturer for Team USA who would compete against Team Japan in Santa Monica, CA in March of 2016 for the RollerGame World Series. During the tournament, he also did color commentary. Team USA won the tournament!
In 2016 he made his debut in Gold Rush Pro Wrestling as the eccentric, 93-year-old butler, Mr. Goldsworth, for pro wrestler Alexander G. Bernard! Since then his character has taken off and been performed multiple times not only in Gold Rush Pro Wrestling's league events but for in All-Pro Wrestling, Wrestling for Charity, Stars of Wrestling, and Phoenix Pro Wrestling events. He is currently working on another character.
In September of 2016, some of Jim's old pro wrestling Super 8mm footage he had shot at the Cow Palace during Roy Shire's Big Time Wrestling shows in the late '70s was published (with credits) in a WWE video, 'I Did It My Way: The Pat Patterson Story' (WWE Hall of Famer)! In November of 2016, some of his wrestling photos, taken back in the late 1970s at the famed Cow Palace, along with quotes from an interview with him are included in Rock Rims' book 'When It Was Big Time: A One Hundred Year History Of Northern California Professional Wrestling'.
In March of 2017, Viviana Puello and Yadira Roman of Art Tour International came to his house to present him with a special award for being selected for their magazine, and then Viviana interviewed him for a live Facebook stream in their 'Get to Know the Artist' series.
Jim attended the ATIM's Top 60 Master of Contemporary Art in 2018, held in New York... received his award in person, was interviewed for the ArtTour International TV show, and was on hand for the art exhibition they held in conjunction with Create4Peace at the Rio Gallery Space where one of his works was on display.
Jim attended the ATIM's Top 60 Master of Contemporary Art in 2019 held in New York where Jim and four other artists were presented with the special 'Blood Award'! Jim was also interviewed for an episode of the ArtTour International TV show and was on hand for the opening night of the special art exhibition held in conjunction with Create4Peace at the Viviana Puello Gallery where one of his works was on display.
Shortly after returning home, Jim received a special Certificate of Recognition from Congresswoman Jackie Speier for his art achievements, efforts to support others faced with chronic pain, and service while a firefighter.
Jim was selected as one of ATIM's Top 60 Master of Contemporary Art for 2020 and also one of their Artists of the Decade.
In 2021 he published 'Ad-Lib to the Blowoff!: the True Story of Professional Roller Derby, the Outlaw Leagues, the Mob's Involvement and More!' which became a Barnes&Noble Best Seller in the categories of Sports History, Non-Fiction, and Roller Derby books!
Jim was selected as one of ATIM's Top 60 Master of Contemporary Art for 2022 and 2023.
Jim is married and has two grown children. Joey and Vanessa. They also have two Japanese Chin dogs, Meme and Liebchen!
Jim hopes to inspire others faced with chronic pain or other obstacles in their lives '... to fight on or in some cases move on. We need to be aware when one door closes there may be another door ready to open.' Jim
Please note that all these images belong to Jim Fitzpatrick and all copyright laws apply.
Below are links to his other sites...
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/jim-fitzpatrick.html?tab=artworkgalleries
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/108739234053695304512/108739234053695304512/posts
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/244012/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=name&id=1063380798
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drawingsbyjim/sets/72157629165943485/
http://jimfitz1.multiply.com/photos/album/7/My_art_work
www.facebook.com/JimFitzpatrickArtworkAndPhotography
https://www.facebook.com/mrgoldsworthbutler/ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5858784/ https://plus.google.com/b/108739234053695304512/108739234053695304512/posts
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ad-lib-to-the-blow-off-jim-fitzpatrick/1139822756
Jim Fitzpatrick joined Fine Art America on May 24th, 2012.
