Though you

may not know it, you have seen Gilbert Young's artwork.

In 1999, he

was commissioned to create an image for Bellsouth's Black History Month

ad campaign. His painting, "The Drum," appeared in publications

all around the world and was named Advertising Image of The Week in January

1999 by Advertising Age magazine.

His images

also have appeared in regional magazines and newspapers as well as on

t-shirts and in more than 5,000 galleries in Canada, England and the United

States.

Young, now

a Fayette County resident, is the Artist of the Month at Barnes and Noble

in Fayetteville. He has loaned some of his work to the store for the month

and will be speaking and demonstrating his talents at the store Feb. 1

at 7 p.m.

Young was born

in Cincinatti, Ohio in 1941. By the age of 6, he had a passion for drawing

and a desire to be a rich and famous artist when he grew up. He honed

his skills over the years at the Cincinatti Art Academy and the University

of Cincinatti. He also got conservation training from Byron Adams and

became the conservator and director of the University of Cincinatti fine

arts collections.

He is probably

best known for the piece "He Ain't Heavy," which depicts a man

hanging over a wall trying to grasp the hand of a man that is falling.

His work has also been featured in televison programs and feature films,

including "Don King," "Friday" and "A Different

World."

Shortly after

moving to the metro Atlanta area in 1995, Young was named artistic director

and supervising judge for "Paint Pals," an international Olympic

youth art competition and exhibition. In 1996, he represented the United

States and The Atlanta Project in St. Petersburg, Russia as the artistic

director of "Paint Pals" to honor eight students from eight

countries.

Young has shown

that type of dedication to art and noble humanitarian efforts throughout

his career. He has donated his images and illustrations to more than 1,000

nonprofit programs and projects.

"My objective

is to illustrate ethnic life as a positive form in matrimony with all

mankind," said Young. "Each work is a personal and intimate

involvement with the subject."

He was commissioned

annually presented by Coretta Scott King and the King Center. Last year,

Young was named artist-in-residence to the Mary McLeod Bethune Family

Legacy Foundation. He also began work on a calendar, which will be released

in October, and a Web site, gilbertyoungart.com , which will be

launched soon.

The reception

for Gilbert Young is sponsored by The Colorful Arts Society.

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