Great Good

November 1st, 2006 by martha mims · No Comments

Along with establishing a tradition of annual Listen & Be Heard Awards from the very first anniversary, we established the Goodie Award, to be presented to a person who we, the publishers, feel has contributed in a big way both to Listen & Be Heard Arts, Culture and Entertainment Magazine, and to the larger arts community we are a part of. We named it the Goodie Award after Cleven �Goodie� Goudeau, a man who contributed his knowledge and know-how at the very beginning stages of this publication. He has done the same for anyone of any age walking through the door of his studio at the Vallejo Artists� Guild in downtown Vallejo.

Goodie has had a distinguished career in advertising, marked by the highest awards in the industry. He was the pioneer of greeting cards marketed to black people in America. Many people might deservedly wish to spend their senior years relaxing and remembering their glory days. But in my humble opinion, the oil and acrylic paintings which he has painted in prolific numbers in the last few years, might be the best work he has ever done. Painting with the abandon and freedom of art for his own pure enjoyment, each of these paintings burst off the canvas in vivid color. His subjects are painted with love and humor. Each one, from portraits of stars like Ray Charles and Aretha, to abstract desert-like fantasies, reflects the observations and wisdom of a man who has spent his life with a drawing tool in his hand. He has rendered his interpretation of the life and times he has lived in, and we invite you to share in the vision.

Some of Goodie�s paintings will be on exhibition and for sale, at Listen & Be Heard Poetry Caf�, 818 Marin Street, Downtown Vallejo. His paintings will hang throughout the month of November, while we celebrate our 3rd Anniversary and wish him health, wealth and prosperity.