CLEVELAND — Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who etched his own path despite adversity. Those in the Cleveland arts community would say the same about Dale A. Goode.
The veteran artist has been honing his craft and advocating for the arts for more than 50 years. A Cleveland native, Goode's roots tie him to East Technical High School, where his art career first began.
"My work has gone from building and layered work with wax, temper paint, oil paint, poster paint to now just almost any kind of coating that exists,” says Goode.
It was his high school art teacher who marched a young Dale into creative freedom, but she had just one rule.
“She said, all I asked Dale is that whether you want to paint abstract or find work, don't waste my supplies and materials and knock on wood," says Goode. "I'd like to say that I haven't disappointed her."
Goode is a featured artist at Hege Gallery under Hilary Ghet’s guidance. The gallery owner says she knew immediately when she met Goode back in 2018, that he was ready and deserved representation.
“He's a very prolific artist. He's always in his studio making, so he had a huge portfolio of work to show me, and I just thought, I think now's the time to bring Dale on board and he's ready to show.”
For the past three years, the two have collaborated on a number of showings, allowing Goode to feel a new level of appreciation.
“She shows different work, she shows challenging work," said Goode.
Towering over six feet tall, Goode knows how to make an entrance. But even without saying a word, his artwork speaks for itself.
"I would say the work is challenging," describes Goode. " I would like to think the bodies of work, especially with the large canvases that I'm beginning to cut down into smaller pieces, stops individuals when they come into the gallery to really look and observe the work."
Fighting the good fight, Goode has wisdom for those following his path that he hopes sticks, even after he’s made his exit.
“Don't give up. Stay focused," said Goode. "Everyone is not going to like your work. But the best thing you can do is put that work out there, show it and exhibit and someone's going to see it and buy it.”
