Wilbert Fobbs, a nationally known artist, has been drawing and painting all of his life. As a young child, his interest in art was piqued during the mid 1950's, in Detroit, Michigan, when his mother entertained him at the kitchen table by telling stories, and doing memory drawings of her childhood in Alabama.
Exhibited in museums and art galleries, Fobbs' paintings convey a symphony of colors. The striking imagery of his work creates distinctive interiors whether in corporate or residential settings. Fobbs uses inventive design to paint from deep feeling and broad experience. His vivid and direct images communicate across a room, rewarding the collector's eye many times over.
He has won awards in juried competitive exhibitions. His lively, vibrant painting, "Togolese Fabric Market”, which depicts the carrying and trading of fabric in Togo, West Africa, won a First Place in Painting Award at the 22nd Annual Michigan Painting and Sculpture Competition. The State of Michigan has purchased a number of his brilliantly colorful works for permanent display in state office buildings.
Commissioned by the Lansing State Journal, his painting,"The 18th Hole”, which depicts women playing golf, was used as a traveling trophy in the Oldsmobile Cutlass Classic Golf Tournament, a LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) event. An unusual achievement, Fobbs had a painting selected by judges for an international exhibition of paintings and sculpture reflecting peace. A rare honor, by invitation, Essence Magazine featured his art in its annual fashion catalogue.
With the artist's permission, the Michigan Chapter of the United Negro College Fund published prints of a Fobbs’ painting to honor its major benefactors as part of a successful fund raising campaign. The original work is in the collection of the Fund. Quite unique, his artwork is on a private wine label at the charming Sea Spray Inn at Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida.
Painting trips have taken the artist to dozens of countries around the world on five continents. Each trip has generated inspiration, a successful series of paintings, and more collector interest. His achievement reflects years of practice and disciplined study. In Detroit, he attended the Art School of the Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for Creative Studies). Fobbs graduated from Wayne State University in 1973. He continued to enhance his knowledge and skill by taking workshops with nationally recognized artists such as Carl Schmalz, Christopher Schink, Frank Webb, Donna Zagotta, and Ken Auster.