When it comes to art, one of St. George's best kept secrets has been the work of a very talented son, Richmond Higinbothom (Chubby) Outerbridge - but that is about to change as the St. George's Foundation hosts the first-ever retrospective of his work.

Entitled 'Pacific Rim Art and Influence Enriches St. George's: A Loving Retrospective Exhibition,' the show opens on November 24 at the Ordnance Island cruise ship terminal, and is part of the Foundation's commitment to "bring history to life".

Mr. Outerbridge was a prolific artist who created an extensive portfolio of pencil and charcoal studies, watercolours and oil paintings which clearly show the influences both of his formal classical art training and decades living and travelling in India and the South Pacific rim.

Most of the paintings have not been seen publicly before because they are in private collections, so this event presents a rare opportunity to enjoy a collection that includes work produced in India, the United States and Fiji, as well as Bermuda.

Mr. Outerbridge, the son of Leila and Frederick Collins Outerbridge, Sr., was born in St. George's in 1919, and his extraordinary talent was evident at an early age. While still a teenager he earned a prestigious Gold Award at the Royal Drawing Society Exhibition in London. During his early twenties he lived in Philadelphia and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he received specialised instruction from private tutors.

Although first and foremost an artist, Mr. Outerbridge also studied gemmology at the London Gemmological Society - a decision that ultimately enhanced his artistic development as it allowed him to work in Calcutta and later Bangalore, India. He also studied art at Rabindranath Tagore's School and Art Centre at Shanti-Niketan in Bengal.

Incurably drawn to exotic and distant lands, Mr. Outerbridge travelled extensively throughout his life, but returned to his homeland almost every year.His last years were spent in Fiji, where he died in 1997 at age 78.

The idea for the exhibition followed the loan of one of Mr. Outerbridge's paintings of St. George's Harbour to the St. George's Foundation for the front cover artwork of their 2001 fund-raising calendar.

"The paintings were so well received that all members of our family were suddenly being asked whether we had other pieces, and if an exhibition could be organised so that they could be seen by the public," sister-in-law Mrs. Janet Outerbridge says.

"As a supporter of the St. George's Foundation, I was delighted to offer my assistance (to bring this about)," she explained.

"I feel immensely proud of the acclaim Chubby's work is receiving, and I hope that as many people as possible will take the opportunity to visit."

Exhibition curator Sue Pearson is equally delighted that the public will have an opportunity to view an outstanding collection.

"Aside from his immense artistic talent, what makes Chubby's work so exciting is that it displays so many different styles and influences," she says. "For example, his brilliant flow of colour, stylised flora and fabrics in the 1955 painting, 'Picking Sugar Apples,' is reminiscent of the work of post-Impressionist Paul Gauguin.

The 1948 painting of 'Church Lane, St. George's' shows how he incorporated such stylised influences into a distinctly Bermudian setting. An earlier, unfinished watercolour study painted before he had travelled to the South Pacific, 'Elegant Woman's Afternoon Tea,' is, in contrast, heavily influenced by classical art training. Those visiting the exhibition will be able to see how these various influences shaped his work throughout his life.

"Through his canvasses, Chubby Outerbridge left us a brilliant and lasting legacy of bygone times, and we are grateful to all of his extended family and friends for graciously sharing his work for this exhibition."

'Pacific Rim Art and Influence Enriches St. George's: A Loving Retrospective Exhibition' will be open from November 24-December 8. Viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Admission is free.