Rozzell Sykes
Rozzell Sykes (December 25, 1931 – December 18, 1994) was an American artist, based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known as the founder of St. Elmo Village, an urban renewal project.[1]
Early life
[edit]Rozzell Sykes was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi, the son of Anna Bell Clay and Cleveland Sykes, although he gave various accounts of his origins over the years, frequently mentioning a childhood in the West Indies.[2] He lived in St. Louis, Missouri and San Diego, California before moving to Los Angeles in 1961.[3]
Career
[edit]In the mid-1960s, Rozzell Sykes was a working painter, noted for a series featured in Life magazine.[4][5] In 1969, he and his nephew Roderick Sykes acquired a small group of bungalows in mid-city Los Angeles, in the 4800 block of St. Elmo Drive where they lived, to save the dwellings and develop the neighborhood as a creative experiment.[6][7] St. Elmo Village was incorporated in 1971, and showcased the Sykes' vision of a colorful, multi-ethnic cultural space. Rozzell Sykes executed several large murals for the community, and secured funding through the assistance of Tom Bradley, then a city councilman. "I don't think he allowed anything to go unpainted," said Bradley in 1995. "He was a man of uncommon vision. He often said it didn't matter whether you lived in a shoe box or a mansion, you can be all you want to be."[8] The neighborhood became the site of the annual St. Elmo Festival, organized by Rozzell Sykes to bring attention to the project and celebrate the arts.[9][10]
Roderick and Rozzell Sykes received a Human Rights Award from the Baha'is of Los Angeles County in 1971, in observance of United Nations Human Rights Day, for their work in St. Elmo Village.[11][12]
Personal life and legacy
[edit]He was married to Erma Sykes, a nurse, and the couple raised five children together,[13] among them music producer Benny Medina.[14]
He died in late 1994, age 63. His funeral was held at First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles.[15][16] St. Elmo Village remains active as an arts space, under director Roderick Sykes.[17][18]
References
[edit]- ^ Blaine, John; Baker, Decia, eds. (1973). "Neighborhood Arts Centers". Community Arts of Los Angeles (Report). Los Angeles Community Art Alliance. p. 33. hdl:10139/2728. OCLC 912321031.
- ^ Joe Bingham, "Famed Artist Risks Friendship for Kids," Los Angeles Sentinel (October 26, 1967): D1.
- ^ Emanuel Parker, "Artist Rozzell Sykes Services Held," Los Angeles Sentinel (January 5, 1995): A4.
- ^ "Rozzell Sykes Exhibit at DeVoe's Studios," Los Angeles Sentinel (October 14, 1965): C4.
- ^ "Sykes Works on Exhibition," Los Angeles Sentinel (April 27, 1967): C9.
- ^ Claudia Luther, "St. Elmo's Village: It's a Spectrum of Artistic Expression," Los Angeles Times (January 11, 1974): C1.
- ^ Jack Smith, "A Sykes for Sore Eyes," Los Angeles Times (June 1, 1975): f1.
- ^ Leslie Berenstein, "Hundreds of Mourners Praise Creator of St. Elmo Village: At Service in His Honor, The Artist is Remembered for his Philosophy of 'Making the Best of What You've Got,'" Los Angeles Times (January 8, 1995).
- ^ Nick Brown, "St. Elmo Festival Set," Los Angeles Sentinel (May 22, 1980): A4.
- ^ Lisa Ndbumoto, "St. Elmo Village Holds 'Art of Survival' Festival," Los Angeles Sentinel (May 24, 1990): A3.
- ^ "LA Baha'is to Present Awards," Los Angeles Sentinel (December 9, 1971): C8.
- ^ "Baha'is Will Present Human Rights Awards," Arcadia Tribune (December 12, 1971): 2. via Newspapers.com
- ^ Burt A. Folkart, "Rozzell Sykes: Artist Founded St. Elmo's," Los Angeles Times (December 25, 1994).
- ^ Laura B. Randolph, "The Real-Life Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Ebony (April 1991): 30-34.
- ^ Leslie Berenstein, "Hundreds of Mourners Praise Creator of St. Elmo Village: At Service in His Honor, The Artist is Remembered for his Philosophy of 'Making the Best of What You've Got,'" Los Angeles Times (January 8, 1995).
- ^ Emanuel Parker, "Artist Rozzell Sykes Services Held," Los Angeles Sentinel (January 5, 1995): A4.
- ^ St. Elmo's Village website.
- ^ "St. Elmo Village A Credit to Human Spirit," Los Angeles Sentinel (December 15, 2005): B4.
