Back in the 1950s, Bermudian R.H. Outerbridge, also known as ‘Chubby’, was considered one of the Island’s brightest artistic talents. These days, few people know his name.

But a new exhibit opening in the Onion Gallery at the Bermuda Society of Arts on Friday, is looking to change all that.

Thirty-five of Mr Outerbridge’s original pieces, gathered from six local families’ private collections, will be on display to the public until December 11.

Scott Stallard, who was close family friends with the artist, said his family owned several of Mr Outerbridge’s paintings and he grew up to have a strong affinity for his work.

“In St George’s it’s a small place so everyone knew Chubby,” Mr Stallard explained. “He was friends with my family and my parents had about three of his paintings in the house, which I grew up with since I was very young.

“Now many years later I noticed that my godmother Janet Outerbridge had many of his pieces in her house and her nephew Kyle Hunter had some as well. I was seeing them a lot at different places I visited and appreciated how good they were, but it seemed no one really knew him.

“I thought it was a shame that he had so much talent, yet few people knew his name 20 or 30 years later. I thought it was time to acquaint everyone with a great Bermudian artist.”

Since word broke about the exhibit, a few art collectors from the United States have called the gallery to see if any pieces would be available for sale. Some even offered to fly down to the Island for the exhibit opening, but Mr Stallard said the pieces meant too much to their owners. “I wouldn’t sell them for any price,” he explained.

R.H. Outerbridge, born Richmond Higinbothom Outerbridge on January 18, 1919, was known mostly by his nickname ‘Chubby’.

Unlike many other youngsters his age, he was always certain about what profession he wanted to take up later in life. Some say his talent for art became apparent while attending St. George’s Grammar School, but his passion took a serious turn when he received the prestigious Gold Award from the Royal Drawing Society Exhibition in London as a teenager.

After extensive training in the US, the artist became an expert in a variety of mediums like watercolour, oil, graphite and charcoal.

He was also very prolific and for a time enjoyed commercial success while working from his Durnford studio on Wellington Street in St George’s. One of his most well known oil paintings is called “Durnford by Moonlight”.

When he was not capturing Bermuda in all its glory, Mr Outerbridge spent time painting rural areas in India. He spent his final days in Fiji, where he died in 1997, at age 78.

Mr Stallard said he hoped the new exhibit would help teach a new generation about one of our home-grown talents.

He said: “So many people, especially young people, love art, want to be artists or enjoy seeing great art work and this is for me some world-class art. I think people will agree when they see the talent.”

He also hopes the pieces will take mature viewers back to a time when neighbourhoods were tranquil, beautiful and quiet.

“For me when I look at art it either speaks to me or it’s silent. Chubby’s paintings, and watercolours especially, are so warm and showcase Bermuda in such a beautiful light,” Mr Stallard said.

“For people who grew up in that time in the 50s and 60s, they will remember when things were peaceful and quiet. These paintings take you right back to those days in the alleyways of St George’s when the poinsettias were in bloom.

“That’s the great thing for me about art, when it portrays all the emotions to you, then it’s done its job well.

“All you need is to open your eyes to see it and the rest will happen or not. I want to give people a chance to see something they would probably never see because these paintings are in private collections that rarely get shown.”

In addition to Mr Outerbridge’s work, some pieces from one of Bermuda’s early female painters, Nellie Pugh, will be on display at the BSOA exhibit. Mr Stallard’s own photography work will also be on show at the gallery.

R.H. Outerbridge: A Retrospective can be seen from Friday, until December 11, at the Onion Gallery at BSOA in the City Hall.