A historic home in West Palm Beach's prestigious El Cid neighborhood has earned national recognition as a museum-worthy site, marking the second such designation in the area dedicated to preserving an influential artist's legacy.
The Reuben Hale House, located at 2715 S. Olive Avenue, has been accepted as an affiliate member of the Historic Artists Homes and Studios (HAHS) program, a rare distinction held by only 80 homes nationwide through the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This achievement places it alongside the well-known Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, which has been a full member of the program for years and sits just blocks to the north in the same El Cid neighborhood.
The century-old Mediterranean Revival-style home, built in 1925 most likely by architect Homer Victor Geib, is being transformed into a public museum by Irma Hale, the 72-year-old daughter of artist Reuben Hale who grew up in the house. Her mission represents a deeply personal tribute to her father's artistic legacy.
"This museum is my love letter to my father and his legacy," Irma Hale explained. "He poured every ounce of his time into creating, but never promoted himself. I hope to ensure that my father's contributions to American art reach the wider audience they deserve."
Reuben Hale's artistic journey began in Belzoni, Mississippi, where he was born. After graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago and earning his master of fine arts degree at Southern Illinois University, he moved to West Palm Beach in 1961, where he would leave an indelible mark on the local arts community.
Hale's influence extended far beyond his personal artwork. In 1980, he became chairman of the fine arts department at Palm Beach Junior College (now Palm Beach State College), and four years later assumed leadership of the college's Division of Humanities, serving the institution for more than 30 years. His impact on West Palm Beach's cultural landscape was profound, as he played integral roles in the early planning of several prominent institutions, including the Pope Theater Company (later Florida Stage), the prestigious Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and the world-renowned Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
As an artist, Hale demonstrated remarkable versatility, working across multiple mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, and holography. His creativity permeated every aspect of his home environment, from the furniture he built and renovated to intricate details like shutters crafted from wooden dowel sticks connected by remnants of sewing spools. His very first sculpture, created at age 12 using clay he dug from his backyard, was a likeness of his father, Reuben Aldridge Hale Sr., and still sits in his former dressing room.
The artist's connection to the broader art world included time spent at the legendary Cedar Street Tavern in New York City, where he associated with notable abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Irma Hale continues investigating this chapter of her father's life, suspecting that galleries or collectors in New York might own some of his abstract works, signed simply "Reuben." She actively researches these leads and appeals to the public for help in locating lost works or commissioned portraits that her father may have created for clients in Florida, New York, or Mississippi.
Reuben Hale's progressive views, particularly his early feminist advocacy during the mid-20th century, are reflected throughout his work. "With all the technological and scientific development of the 20th century, I believe the change in the status of the female will be one of the most significant and powerful developments because of its more emotional, personal and human nature," he wrote. Many of his sculptures depict what he called "emerging women" - figures of women attempting to emerge through restrictive shrouds, illustrating their resilience and strength.
"My dad believed in strong women," Irma Hale noted. "He married a strong woman and together they raised a strong daughter - me." Reuben was married to Marie Hale, founder of Ballet Florida, who died in 2020. Irma herself is an accomplished photographer, dancer, painter, and former concert pianist.
The home serves as a complete artistic environment, filled with Hale's creations from floor to ceiling. Visitors entering through the front door are immediately greeted by his detailed drawing of a large bald eagle, two theatrical masks depicting comedy and tragedy, and a small table adorned with a sculpture of a griffin - all original Hale creations. Even the front door tells a story, featuring an original confessional window reportedly salvaged from St. Edward Catholic Church in Palm Beach.
Reuben Hale was also a devoted supporter of fellow artists, including those under his tutelage. His personal collection includes works by his peers at Palm Beach Junior College, notably Patrick Slatery and Edward Kinney. Linda Larsen, now a figurative painter living in Asheville, North Carolina, was one of Hale's students in the late 1970s. She was drawn to his classes because of his broader experience in New York and Chicago, remembering him as both modest and charismatic.
"Reuben nurtured his students to find their own voice," Larsen recalled. "He cared about his students and he cared about me." However, she also noted his exacting standards, remembering how he could be a taskmaster down to the way paintbrushes were cleaned - he once failed her in class for not meeting his standards. "To this day, I am careful about the way I clean my brushes, making sure to get all the paint off the ferrules," she said. "I am reminded of Reuben every time I clean them."
The path to HAHS recognition required Irma Hale to nominate the house for consideration, with nominees required to operate in some capacity as museums. The Hale house currently offers guided tours by appointment. Valerie Balint, director of HAHS, visited the property in March 2024 and was immediately impressed.
"I fell in love with the home and the artwork instantly," Balint said. "The Reuben Hale House is a complete artistic environment that Reuben Hale created with multiple media and handmade and hand-designed aspects of the home. It's a complete, harmonized aesthetic statement by the artist." The program accepted 19 new affiliate members this year, with one key criterion being whether visitors can feel the creative spirit of the artist in the space - something Balint found in great measure at the Hale house.
Balint noted that while artist homes featuring sculptures are less common than those with paintings, all three designated HAHS homes in Florida contain sculpture gardens. Besides the Hale House and Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, the third is the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park.
"Transforming this house into a public museum is a gift to the public at large," Balint observed. "Taking something so deeply personal and giving it longevity by inviting the public into this world is a gift to future generations." She expressed openness to working with Irma Hale and the nonprofit she established in 2019, The Artwork of Reuben Hale, to explore pathways to full membership status.
The home's interior showcases an extensive collection of Hale's works, including "Woman Emerging" (1991) and "Jack 1" (1990) in polyester, "Caryatids" (1998), his childhood sculpture "Bust of Reuben Aldridge Hale, Sr." (1939) in unfired clay, "Untitled" (1969) oil on canvas, "Jack 4" (1990) hologram, and a selection of his abstract expressionist paintings and holograms.
The sculpture garden features equally impressive works, including "Bushman Warrior" (2000), "King of the Mountain" (2000), "Yard Man" (2012) combining polyester, metal and rubber, "Seated Figure" (2006), "Walking Woman" (1990) in bronze, and "Nascent Woman" (1988) in polyester. The garden's centerpiece, "Bushman Warrior," stands 6 feet 3 inches tall in bronze, commanding attention among the other sculptures.
Reuben Hale lived and created in this artistic sanctuary until his death in March 2018 at age 90, surrounded by the creative environment he had spent decades building and refining.
The house is currently closed for renovation and scheduled to reopen to the public in September. Tours and volunteer opportunities will be available by appointment, with volunteers sought for garden maintenance and various other functions including serving as docents, archivists, fundraisers, and event planners. Those interested can call 561-833-6522 or email artworkreubenhale.com for appointments and information. Additional details are available at reubenhale.com.
The recognition of the Reuben Hale House as an affiliate member of the Historic Artists Homes and Studios program represents not only a tribute to one artist's legacy but also establishes West Palm Beach's El Cid neighborhood as home to two nationally significant artist residences - a rare distinction that highlights the area's rich cultural heritage and ongoing commitment to preserving artistic history for future generations.
