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Ted Hartley 2025 Inductee to HFAF Hamptons Artists Hall of Fame
The Hamptons region has long been recognized as a Mecca for the creation and patronage of fine art. Currently, over 1,500 artists reside in the region. HFAF recognizes and salutes a handful of well-respected and much-accomplished East End based artists (both living and posthumously) who will be inducted into the HFAF Hamptons Artists Hall of Fame each year. The purpose of the HOF is to highlight, as well as to invite, a rediscovery for those esteemed local artists who have not fully received the national fame and recognition they deserve. Ted Hartley's life is a testament to reinvention. A US Olympic wrestling finalist, US Navy fighter pilot, White House aide to Eisenhower and Kennedy, Hollywood actor, scriptwriter, and CEO of RKO Pictures. Hartley has continuously embraced new challenges with passion and success. Inspired by his late wife, actress Dina Merrill, Hartley turned to painting as an emotional; and creative outlet. His powerful 1950-70era-like abstractions, have textured surfaces and expressive energy – as the artist explores themes of resilience, transformation and depth of human experience.
TED HARTLEY
Ted Hartley took up painting after his wife, Dina Merrill fell sick. Looking for ways to keep her active emotionally and mentally, he initiated twice a week art classes in their home, inviting Dina’s friends to join. Joining the group, Hartley gained his own appreciation of art and his painting progressed from representational art into more daring subjective expressionism.
BIOGRAPHY
Theodore Ringwalt Hartley is a former US Navy fighter pilot, olympian, investment banker, actor, film producer, and current CEO of RKO Pictures. Hartley’s work continues in the rich artistic tradition that lays claim to such painters as William Merritt Chase, Fairfield Porter, Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Willem de Kooning, and many more. Using ink, charcoal, pencil, watercolor, acrylic, and gouache, Hartley unleashes marks and touches of glowing color into receptacles of his own making. Ted Hartley was born in Omaha, Nebraska. At fourteen, he entered a writing contest sponsored by Warner Brothers with a short essay titled “Why I Want to Fly.” He won flying lessons and was airborne almost immediately. Like the rest of his life, once Hartley set his sights on a goal, he would not rest until he achieved or mastered it. Following suit, he began to paint. Hartley lives and works in New York City and his studio in East Hampton, NY.
HAMPTONS FINE ART FAIR SELECTION
“It is about something. It is about something that moves you and looking for a way to integrate the search for authenticity and what is real, and the desire to express the stories, the deep convictions that run in your mind into colors and lines. It’s a wonderful trip.” -Ted Hartley
Ted Hartley took up painting after his wife, Dina Merrill fell sick. Looking for ways to keep her active emotionally and mentally, he initiated twice a week art classes in their home, inviting Dina’s friends to join. Joining the group, Hartley gained his own appreciation of art and his painting progressed from representational art into more daring subjective expressionism.
MORE ABOUT TED HARTLEY
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Ted Hartley faced the early loss of his father, an executive at AT&T. His mother, a dedicated teacher, subsequently raised Ted and his sister by herself, devising special courses for public schools. Hartley's education spanned prestigious institutions, including Annapolis, Georgetown University, and Harvard Business School. His athletic prowess was evident as a U.S. Olympic wrestling finalist and as Head of the International Relations section during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
His military service was distinguished; as a Navy-carrier-based jet fighter pilot, Hartley embarked on assignments globally, including a period as a White House aide during the Kennedy-Eisenhower era. An aircraft accident at 28 led to his disability retirement as a Lieutenant Commander. Transitioning to civilian life, Hartley navigated through various executive roles, ultimately becoming the Executive Vice President of First Western Financial Corporation.
When the company was acquired by a larger bank, Hartley, then in Los Angeles for a job interview, was serendipitously cast in the television series "Peyton Place" as the Reverend Jerry Bedford. This foray into acting opened doors to co-star roles with legends like Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, Dean Martin, and Robert Redford, and he later starred in the television series "Chopper One" on ABC.
Hartley also explored directing television commercials and producing films, leading to a significant opportunity with RKO Pictures Corporation. As CEO, he produced a dozen films and several television movies, broadening RKO's scope into Broadway productions. His industry stature is recognized as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and as a Tony voter.
In his philanthropic ventures, Hartley has made substantial impacts as the former Chairman of ORBIS International and as a founding director of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. He continues to serve on the board of the Village Preservation Society of East Hampton.
Art became a sanctuary for Hartley, especially as he cared for his late wife, actress Dina Merrill, during her health decline. He initiated art classes in their home, engaging Merrill and her friends in a creative and emotional outlet. These classes inspired his own passion for painting, which has now grown into a significant and fulfilling part of his life. Hartley's legacy extends to his family, with a son and two grandsons carrying forward his diverse lineage of achievements and contributions.
UKRAINE
His featured Ukraine Series begins with “Kyiv: Pro Patria,” a fiery glow of contrasting hues celebrating the success of the Ukrainians in repulsing the Russian attack on their capital. On loan for the show, “Kyiv: Pro Patria” was purchased earlier this year by an anonymous “friend of the Ukraine patriots,” with proceeds benefiting the Red Cross in Ukraine and two other Ukraine charities. Two companion pieces to the series will debut at the Sag Harbor exhibition. “Retreat from Snake Island,” a painting inspired by the refusal of three Ukrainian lightkeepers to surrender the island to the Russian fleet, and “Red Flight from Izium,” which depicts the Ukrainians striking back at Izium seven months into the stalled Russian invasion, a battle still in process in the drive to push the invaders off Ukrainian land.