Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital  opened a new art exhibit in the main hall of the hospital Monday with paintings from local artist Raleigh Bailey.

Bailey, who lives in Demopolis and graduated from George P. Austin High School in Linden, said he’s been painting since he could hold a brush.

“I’ve been painting all my life just about,” he said. “I paint a variety things, but a lot of landscapes and portraits.”

Bailey said he spent several years of his life in Stuart, Fla., where he got the inspiration for one of his most famous paintings, “ONE-Martin.” This painting depicted the first black female county commissioner in Martin County, Fla., and was also a tribute to the New York City firefighters.

“This painting means a lot to me,” Bailey said. “It shows a lot of history in it.”

Bailey said his art is a mix of optimism and pessimism, and he leaves it to the viewers to decide how it should be understood.

“A lot of people see the glass half full or half empty, but I see it both ways at the same time,” he said. “My art can be taken both ways, and it’s up to the viewer to decide that. My work is unique, and I want different people to see different things with it.”

Bailey said he felt it is important for the hospital to have the gallery because there is nowhere else in Demopolis that artists can hang their art.

“We don’t have any galleries here for artists, so the hospital is doing a great thing by giving artists an outlet to display their art in this area,” he said.