The Lights are Bright on Broadway by Jim Bilgere in Garland

Artist Jim Bilgere spent his childhood immersed in the Square in the French quarter of New Orleans. His grandmother was a tour guide and artist on the Square. At the age of five his biggest mentor and friend on the Square was artist, Harold "Napoleon" King. That was the beginning of the time in Jim’s life when he was a painter on the Square. Jim earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas. He has painted extensively in the form of paintings on canvas and as a street artist painting many murals nationally as well as throughout Europe. His style is playful, colorful and joyful. He maintains a child-like innocence in his painting style that brings freshness, happiness and pure delight to his work. In 2005 Jim participated in the Carlton Arms Art Project at the Carlton Arms Hotel in New York City and exhibited at Artbreak Gallery alongside many successful contemporary artists. After revisiting the Carlton Arms Hotel in 2019 and a three month stint in Europe, he was honored to be asked to have a show of his work there once again. Jim is renowned for his murals in Deep Ellum and downtown Dallas, which include The Joy of Music, painted on the outside of Sandaga 813 Jazz Club in Downtown Dallas, the Deep Ellum Art Company bathroom mural, a gorgeous Frida Kahlo mural at Pepe’s & Mito’s Mexican Cafe and a “Machine Works” mural for Ed W. Smith Machine Works on Commerce Street. Jim paints many murals designed to bring hope to cities ravaged by tragedy. One example, after the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri in 2011, Jim and fellow artist, A.J. Alejandro painted a graffiti "Love Bomb" on the side of the damaged building of the former Su Dom Tai Karate Studio. The work includes a bandaged heart and words like "believe" and "faith" against a backdrop of the ravaged Joplin building. When I was a teenager I learned to paint from artist, Harold "Napoleon" King, the first black man to paint on Jackson Square in the center of New Orleans. He had a room for me to stay in whenever I would come to see him. He lived on the same block where the guy who invented jazz music lived, so needless to say I’ve been around a lot of music in my life. It’s always been there and I often have liked making paintings that feel like music. As I’ve become older I’ve heard and played so much music that I like to go to the quiet of nature and listen to the Symphony created by all the creatures that are there and make paintings about the beautiful places I’ve been blessed to experience…