Gifted Internationally Renown Sculptor,
Tina Allen, Artist of Record for the Benjamin Banneker Commemorative Effort, Succumbs
to Illness.
Washington, DC, September 18, 2008 – America
has lost one of its most celebrated, internationally acclaimed,
talents in the world of commemorative art. Well loved and highly
respected artist, Ms. Tina Allen, known for her powerful bronze
public commemorative pieces, died of complications associated with
a heart attack on Tuesday morning, Sept. 9. Ms. Allen was
the Artist of Record for the Banneker Memorial in
the nation’s capital. It is one of only two memorials
ever authorized to an African-American, for placement within the
capital’s monumental core, in the history of America. The
other effort, the MLK Memorial, is now in its
22nd year. The Banneker Memorial is in its
12th year of commemorative matriculation.
The Washington Interdependence Council first
unveiled the Banneker Memorial prototype to the
public in February, 2008 at the National Archives Museum in
the nation’s capital. The image was the second version
of the commemorative piece produced by Ms. Allen. In a Sneak
Preview unveiling, she shared the first rendering with friends
and colleagues in September, 2007. The bronze maquette was also
well received and lauded by attendees at the National Archives as
its premiere celebratory program for Black History Month;
and recently in June at a second unveiling hosted by Charles Dutton
and John Sayles, a collaborative Creative Coalition event.
Master
Portrait Artist, Simmie Knox, the first
African-American commissioned to create a presidential portrait
for President Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Chair of the Banneker
Memorial Charette held in 2006, remembers Tina noting, “She
was a lady committed to excellence, and she demonstrated that in
the way she carried herself and the works that she produced.”
Tina’s mantra when it came to her work in capturing for
time immemorial the historic legacy of notable figures of national
and international acclaim was, “Our children must know that
greatness comes from people who look like them.” She
was amongst the most sought out artists in the world for bronze
commissions to immortalize heroes and sheroes of epic stature. Iconic
historic figures such as: Dr. George Washington Carver; Alex
Haley; Frederick Douglass; Sojourner Truth; Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.; Ron Brown; Tupac Shakur; Sammy Davis Jr.; Caesar Chevez; Marcus
Garvey; Dr. Ralphe Bunch; Dr. Betty Shabazz; and Benjamin Banneker,
among others.
“Although I was not a voting member of the Charette
which selected Ms. Allen as the Artist of Record for the Banneker
Memorial commission, we immediately realized that we both
shared philosophical positions when it came to the importance of
a dignified symbolic presence paying homage to the contributions
of African-Americans. She and I were in total agreement on
the power and need for positive images to be created for our children,” commented
Peggy Seats, Founder/CEO of the Washington Interdependence
Council, administrators of the Banneker Memorial. “The
world will long remember the artistic legacy of Tina Allen.”
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Copyright, Washington Interdependence Council, 2017
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