Two years ago, artist Rita Brame introduced me to the imaginative, spiritual, and playful paintings of Walt Hodges. He became one of the first Roanoke artists I had the opportunity to publish in two print editions of 16 Blocks Magazine.
Although I never had the chance to meet Walt in person, we exchanged many messages and enjoyed some wonderful conversations when we first moved to Roanoke. He was kind, supportive of the magazine, and hilarious in our exchanges.
Rita had the opportunity to meet him when he visited her studio in the Aurora building last year. She described him as charming, kind, and talented, with an Andy Warhol sense of fashion.
Around that time, I had begun experimenting with animating original artwork using some of the early generative AI tools, and created two short animations from Walt’s paintings.
When we began assembling a board for the 16 Blocks nonprofit, Walt was a natural choice. He enthusiastically said yes, and as we learned more about his life, we discovered just how many people in Roanoke and beyond had been touched by his artwork and his work as a stylist.
An Art Star in the Star City.
Walt will be missed. We can only hope to carry forward some of the positive energy and good vibes that defined him, knowing that his artistic work will live on.
Walt Hodges: Art in Motion
