For Immediate Release
May 2, 2002
Watts Art Studio Celebrates Thirtieth Anniversary
5/2/2002 -- Ted Watts’ art studio reached a milestone today. Thursday, May 2, 2002, marks the thirtieth anniversary for the Oswego, Kansas artist’s business that specializes in sports oriented art work.
When Watts began his free-lance art business on May 2, 1972, he had no idea where his creative dreams might take him. He was leaving the security of a salaried job as an advertising manager and sports reporter for a weekly newspaper in southeast Kansas.
There were no guarantees that a highly specialized art production service—operating from the relative obscurity of a rural Kansas town—would succeed.
Thankfully his dreams were practical. Watts has always mixed hard work, long hours and a God given talent for telling a story with pictures. His confident personality and sense of humor are well received by sports art clients nationwide. It has been that way since day one.
Ted has virtually painted his way into the forefront of American illustrators with a no nonsense approach to both his craft—art and his favorite subject. . .sports. Many athletic administrators and in the collegiate art community consider Ted Watts somewhat of a pioneer for transforming college sports art publicity from cartoon dominated market during the mid-century to an illustration art preference today.
Watts’ sports art production statistics are mind-boggling. During the past three decades, he has completed over 5,000 pieces of finished art…over 1,250 cover illustrations (including 66 national award winners), 1,450 display paintings and portraits, 600 posters and calendars, 89 limited edition art prints and two murals.
Are there going to be any changes for the artist?
Watts says, "Always. I plan to devote more of my time to creative art production as I wind down my career. Other specialty firms in the area are better suited to handle the details of printing reproductions of my art than my studio. My studio is joining forces with several long time friends and business associates to do just that."
A Ted Watts Art Studio web site for on line sports art shoppers is under construction. A local specialty firm manages auctions of Watts’ original art and prints on eBay and other computer sources. A Watts’ sport art exhibit will be featured at the Sports Extravaganza at Kansas City’s Union Station in August.
Happy thirtieth anniversary to my southeast Kansas friend.