[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MR. PAUL COLLINS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2006

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the last day of Black History 
Month to commend the works of a great African-American artist, Mr. Paul 
Collins of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Collins has had a long and 
distinguished career painting portraits of individuals from all over 
the world. It has been said that Mr. Collins' work seeks to recognize 
and express the essential human dignity and worth of others.
  Mr. Collins' talent has been awarded and recognized internationally 
on numerous occasions, and he has been commissioned by several foreign 
governments as well as the U.S. to commemorate important people and 
events.
  One of Paul Collins' most celebrated works is the 18-foot by 8-foot 
mural of Grand Rapids native, President Gerald R. Ford, displayed in 
the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Mr. Collins was awarded the 
mural commission in 1975. His finished product captures the various 
facets of President Ford's life as a husband, father and athlete. Upon 
its unveiling, the mural attracted national attention and critical 
acclaim and was applauded by Newsweek Magazine for its strong and 
dignified presentation of Gerald R. Ford. Mr. Collins is believed to be 
the first African-American artist to paint the portrait of a sitting 
president.
  In 1981, Mr. Collins created the Ford Museum Commemorative Poster 
which was copied from the mural to help raise funds for the Ford 
Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. More than 1,000 posters 
were sold to help raise funds for the museum.
  Also of note among Mr. Collin's lifetime achievements is the 
groundbreaking success and importance of his work, The Voices of 
Israel, conceived in the 1970s as a way to help renew the relationship 
between America's Black and Jewish communities during the civil rights 
movement. The work depicts the history of the people of Israel. This 25 
piece collection has toured in Israel and all over the U.S.
  Mr. Collins has also made good use of his excellent artistic skill to 
create symbols and designs, whose meanings and importance extend beyond 
his actual works. In this regard, Mr. Collins designed the Martin 
Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize Medal, which is awarded yearly to an 
individual who has contributed to the cause of world peace. This 
important symbol has been awarded to such notable people as former 
President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the late Rosa 
Parks. Similarly, Collins also created the American Woman Commemorative 
Plaque, honoring astronaut Sally Ride, the first woman in space.

  Throughout his long and distinguished career, Mr. Paul Collins has 
deservedly received many awards and honors. A few of his many 
distinctions include the Tadlow Fine Art Award, the People's Choice 
Award in Paris, and his election as one of the top 20 painters in 
America as voted by the Watson and Guptill Publication.
  It is right, then, that we continue to honor the artist and the 
individual, Paul Collins. Mr. Collins' works, in a nod to his skill and 
ability to capture the essence of human characteristics and spirit, 
have been commissioned to represent and symbolize some of the most 
important figures and events in this country. Mr. Collins' work as an 
artist is matched only by his contributions as a humanitarian, as 
evidenced through his continued service as a teacher and lecturer in 
Michigan area schools on the value of art and his life experiences, the 
establishment of his own scholarship programs, and the creation of the 
Paul Collins Humanitarian Award in 2000. Through his own merit, 
dedication and long and distinguished career of success, Paul Collins 
has assuredly gained a position of honor and distinction in our 
country.




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