Pro Hart
Is it just me or does everyone hate the end of an era?
Pro Hart will be buried in Broken Hill today.
I’m talking about it, not just because he was an Australian Legend…who never took himself too seriously…my favourite type of person, but also for his son David, who operates a gallery in Mooloolaba…and is a great and generous member of this community.
Pro Harts name is actually Kevin Charles Hart…he was born in broken hill in 1928…and was called the professor from a young age because he liked inventing things…
Professor eventually became Pro…and he’s never really been known as anything else.
He’s also known for his love of Broken Hill.
Last week, New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma rang the Hart family to offer them a state funeral, but according to David, the family turned the offer down.
David said Dad was born in Broken Hill, he died there, and we didn’t think he would want to leave, so we had to say no thanks.
The Premier thought about it, rang back, and subsequently, for the first time ever, a state funeral will be held in Broken Hill today, at the local civic centre. It’s expected to be huge.
Pro Hart is not only known for his art, but also his love of god and organ music.
Apparently, Pro Hart loved to paint the inside cover pages of bibles, and would constantly hand them out to people he met. There are hundreds of bibles rattling around Australia with the Pro Hart touch.
There’s something that makes me sad about Pro Hart. The (so-called) artistic elite in Australia don’t rate Pro Hart. In fact, according to some journalists, when Pro Hart died last week, some gallery curators were not even prepared to comment on his work or legacy. That gets up my nose. Pro Hart's paintings are not even hung in the National Gallery in Canberra and I think that’s wrong.
Having said that, I doubt Pro Hart lost any sleep over the chardonnay set.
For 18 years he worked as a miner in Broken Hill, turning out canvases at night.
After marrying Raylee in 1960, he was "discovered" by a gallery director in Adelaide and his first exhibition was a sellout and the rest, as they say, is history.
Pro Hart developed motor neurone disease in later life, and was unable to paint for the last six months of his life.
Pro is survived by his wife Raylee and five children, all of whom paint and were at his bedside when he died.
Caroline Hutchinson
Pro Hart will be buried in Broken Hill today.
I’m talking about it, not just because he was an Australian Legend…who never took himself too seriously…my favourite type of person, but also for his son David, who operates a gallery in Mooloolaba…and is a great and generous member of this community.
Pro Harts name is actually Kevin Charles Hart…he was born in broken hill in 1928…and was called the professor from a young age because he liked inventing things…
Professor eventually became Pro…and he’s never really been known as anything else.
He’s also known for his love of Broken Hill.
Last week, New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma rang the Hart family to offer them a state funeral, but according to David, the family turned the offer down.
David said Dad was born in Broken Hill, he died there, and we didn’t think he would want to leave, so we had to say no thanks.
The Premier thought about it, rang back, and subsequently, for the first time ever, a state funeral will be held in Broken Hill today, at the local civic centre. It’s expected to be huge.
Pro Hart is not only known for his art, but also his love of god and organ music.
Apparently, Pro Hart loved to paint the inside cover pages of bibles, and would constantly hand them out to people he met. There are hundreds of bibles rattling around Australia with the Pro Hart touch.
There’s something that makes me sad about Pro Hart. The (so-called) artistic elite in Australia don’t rate Pro Hart. In fact, according to some journalists, when Pro Hart died last week, some gallery curators were not even prepared to comment on his work or legacy. That gets up my nose. Pro Hart's paintings are not even hung in the National Gallery in Canberra and I think that’s wrong.
Having said that, I doubt Pro Hart lost any sleep over the chardonnay set.
For 18 years he worked as a miner in Broken Hill, turning out canvases at night.
After marrying Raylee in 1960, he was "discovered" by a gallery director in Adelaide and his first exhibition was a sellout and the rest, as they say, is history.
Pro Hart developed motor neurone disease in later life, and was unable to paint for the last six months of his life.
Pro is survived by his wife Raylee and five children, all of whom paint and were at his bedside when he died.
Caroline Hutchinson
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