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.

Early life

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.[1] He lived in St. Louis, Missouri and San Diego, California before moving to Los Angeles in 1961.[2]

Career

In the mid-1960s, Rozzell Sykes was a working painter, noted for a series featured in Life magazine.[3][4] 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.[5][6] 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."[7] 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.[8][9]

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.[10][11]

Personal life and legacy

He was married to Erma Sykes, a nurse, and the couple raised five children together,[12] among them music producer Benny Medina.[13]

He died in late 1994, age 63. His funeral was held at First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles.[14][15] St. Elmo Village remains active as an arts space, under director Roderick Sykes.[16][17]

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References
  1. Joe Bingham, "Famed Artist Risks Friendship for Kids," Los Angeles Sentinel (October 26, 1967): D1.
  2. Emanuel Parker, "Artist Rozzell Sykes Services Held," Los Angeles Sentinel (January 5, 1995): A4.
  3. "Rozzell Sykes Exhibit at DeVoe's Studios," Los Angeles Sentinel (October 14, 1965): C4.
  4. "Sykes Works on Exhibition," Los Angeles Sentinel (April 27, 1967): C9.
  5. Claudia Luther, "St. Elmo's Village: It's a Spectrum of Artistic Expression," Los Angeles Times (January 11, 1974): C1.
  6. Jack Smith, "A Sykes for Sore Eyes," Los Angeles Times (June 1, 1975): f1.
  7. 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).
  8. Nick Brown, "St. Elmo Festival Set," Los Angeles Sentinel (May 22, 1980): A4.
  9. Lisa Ndbumoto, "St. Elmo Village Holds 'Art of Survival' Festival," Los Angeles Sentinel (May 24, 1990): A3.
  10. "LA Baha'is to Present Awards," Los Angeles Sentinel (December 9, 1971): C8.
  11. "Baha'is Will Present Human Rights Awards," Arcadia Tribune (December 12, 1971): 2. via Newspapers.com
  12. Burt A. Folkart, "Rozzell Sykes: Artist Founded St. Elmo's," Los Angeles Times (December 25, 1994).
  13. Laura B. Randolph, "The Real-Life Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Ebony (April 1991): 30-34.
  14. 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).
  15. Emanuel Parker, "Artist Rozzell Sykes Services Held," Los Angeles Sentinel (January 5, 1995): A4.
  16. St. Elmo's Village website.
  17. "St. Elmo Village A Credit to Human Spirit," Los Angeles Sentinel (December 15, 2005): B4.
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