The centerpiece of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame is the collection of original watercolor portraits of the Honored Members. Each piece of artwork, commissioned from renowned artist Sam Bailie, Jr., depicts the essence of the inductee, both from a personal and competitive perspective. Currently 18 portraits anchor the extensive collection of original art on permanent display at the Hall of Fame.

About the Artist -- Sam Bailie, Jr.

After beginning a career in graphic design and illustration, Sam Bailie,Jr., realized true fulfillment could only come from creating his own artwork. While earning a bachelor's of fine art at the University of Arizona he experimented with a variety of styles. He quickly focused on the realistic portrayal of that which he sees on a daily basis, family, nature, life. Oils were the medium of choice in his early years in order to create fine detail. However, a fascination with the works of Andrew Wyeth caused him to explore the use of watercolors to achieve the same detailed, controlled style he had developed with oils. Sam begins a work with a wet, loose method of painting, but then switches to a dry brush technique enabling him to achieve a "drawing with paint" effect that produces the desired detail. Upon completion of a work, parts will have been reworked numerous times. Slow and tedious, this technique often requires more than 250 hours to complete a painting. In the tradition of Georges Seurat, however, he has always insisted on quality over quantity. His works have been exhibited in many shows, the most recent: