Anderson Gallery Magazine

Paul L. Gaines Sr.

First Director of Minority Affairs at Bridgewater State College First Black City Council Member and Mayor of Newport, R.I. (1932 - 2020)

In 1968, Paul Gaines Sr. was recruited by the President of Bridgewater State College, after receiving a MA in Counseling, to become the Director of a new program on campus called PROGRESS, which Mr. Gaines designed, to attract more students of color to campus, while supporting them in their studies. This program became a blueprint used by other Colleges across Massachusetts. During his 28 years at BSU, Mr. Gaines advised a newly established Afro-American Society student organization in 1970 and led the establishment of the Dr. Robert A. Daniel Afro-American Award for the graduating student of color with the highest cumulative average. In 1990, co-founded the Afro-American Alumni Association on campus with alumnus Jeanne Oliver- Foster, ‘77. Mr. Gaines then organized the Annual BSC Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, and co-founded the Massachusetts Hall of Black Achievement at Bridgewater State University. Mr. Gaines graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans in 1951 on a full basketball scholarship, where he met and married his wife, Jo Eva Johnson Gaines. Paul Gaines Sr. taught for 37 years as an educator and basketball coach in Newport, RI.

Larry Johnson

The Reverend Larry Curtis Johnson was commissioned in 1988, as the Artist who painted and framed the first 21 portraits of the Massachusetts Hall of Black Achievement (HOBA) at Bridgewater State University. Each portrait is beautifully painted using a similar style and technique, which became a trademark of his work.

A graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Larry’s cartooning and artistic talents led him to a longtime career as a Sports Editorial Cartoonist at the Boston Globe, ESPN.com Quickie Page, WEEI.com and the National Sports Daily. Larry was fortunate to cover all of Boston’s sports teams and his works were not only insightful, humorous, but were nationally recognized and enjoyed, as well. In addition, Larry was the cohost of “Mustard and Johnson,” a staple of Boston weekend sports talk on WEEI for many years.

Larry published 20 children’s books with Houghton Mifflin, Lee Low, and Scholastic Books. His art is in the permanent collections of Cousen Rose Gallery in Martha’s Vineyard, Williams McCall Gallery in South Beach, Florida, and is included in the Artistic collections of Oprah Winfrey and Vernon Jordan. He also completed a series of 5’x5’ paintings for the Adams Mark Hotels [&] Resorts, a chain of upscale hotels in the United States. Rev. Johnson was an ordained member of the ministerial staff, as a Youth Director at Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Brockton, MA for a period of 21 years.