Prominent Philadelphia painter James A. Hanes, founder of La Salle’s Fine Arts Department, died on Feb. 27, 2015, at the age of 91. A long-time resident of the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Hanes received his formal training with Roy Nuse at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

Hanes founded the Fine Arts Department in 1965 and served as an artist-in-residence and art instructor at La Salle for more than 30 years before retiring in 1992. He was also instrumental in founding La Salle’s Art Museum, along with colleague Thomas Ridington and then-University President Brother Daniel Burke, F.S.C., Ph.D., and served as an acquisitions adviser to the Art Museum.

A number of Hanes’ paintings, including a portrait of Br. Daniel, are part of La Salle’s Art Museum collection. His works have been shown at many prestigious national and international venues, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Palazzo dei Papi in Orvieto, Italy, and the National Academy of Design in New York.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Teresa; his children, Paul, Nicole, and Jamie; and his grandchildren, Mark-Daniel Schwartz, Peter Schwartz, William Fisher, Lillibelle Hanes, and Leila Hanes.

A sampling of his work can be seen at Jamesahanes.com.