John Solomon Sandridge is one of the most popular and richest Painter who was born on May 10, 1950 in Gadsden, Alabama, United States. Before that, however in the midst of how the metro area of Atlanta was preparing in preparation for 1996’s Centennial Summer Olympic Games, Sandridge was approached from the Olympic Soccer Committee to create limited edition prints as well as an limited edition bronze sculpture. Sandridge has also illustrated a number of books such as The Bridal Wreath Bush and The Little Known Black History Facts that were featured on The Tom Joyner Morning Show and through a partnership in 2000, which included the McDonald’s Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company and the famous radio host Tom Joyner.
An aesthetically, divinely and ancestral-inspired art style, Numinousneoism Art, was developed in 2010 when Sandridge created 100 pieces of uniquely original artwork. The transformative art style focuses on using spiritual messages and imagination coupled with a diverse collection of visual elements to create artwork infused with Black American heritage and feminine energy principles of warmth, surrender, openness and trust. Sandridge says that the art “contains all previous and future art styles – cubism, expressionism, impressionism, realism, etc. – and most importantly, captures the expressions of our ancestors, the original Black Africans.” More than 400-plus Numinousneoism™ Art paintings and sculptures, along with six original handwritten books, have been produced and sold or for sale with Sandridge creating more on a daily basis.
Sandridge has been publicly recognized for his artistic contributions with the Distinguished Service Award from Gadsden State Community College (2011), Governor of Alabama Award, City of Gadsden Award, and the keys to the cities of Birmingham, Alabama; Gadsden, Alabama; Rainbow City, Alabama; and Fairfield, Alabama. In February 2019, Solomon was named 19th on the list of 100 notable people in Shelby County, Alabama.
His license was granted by Coca-Cola International from 1990 to 1996 to allow him to use the company’s logo and bottle designs in his art which made him one of the very first Black American licensed by the company to produce paintings. He went on to create paintings with Black American themes that would turn into Coca-Cola art-related collectibles in serving tray, note cards prints, as well as other souvenirs. The first Coca-Cola painting was sold for $30,000. This at the time was the most price he’d ever earned for an individual painting. The price of his subsequent paintings reached as high as $1.5 million.
Sandridge Signs was the first of many ventures Sandridge created over the course of forty years. In the latter half of the 1980s Sandridge dissolved the sign company and began working as a full-time artist while creating the Sandridge Art Studio and Gallery. For nine years, he taught private art classes and art groups. in 1994 Black Enterprise Magazine recognized Sandridge’s success in the art distribution industry offering limited edition prints and figurines. After that, he focused on healing and wellness through natural remedies through studying naturopathic medicine. He also began designing and marketing an herbal supplement line.
Sandridge continued to maintain a relationship with The Coca-Cola Company in which he was commissioned in 1997 to paint a portrait of Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas, and served as a feature artist for The Coca-Cola Company’s Las Vegas gift store opening. After working with the global soft drink manufacturer, Sandridge became an art educator for the Gadsden, Alabama City School system, and was instrumental in helping to develop The Gadsden City Arts Program.
