Ayokunle Odeleye, professional sculptor, arts educator and designer of the Lake Cumberland Slaves Memorial, will be on the campus of Somerset Community College (SCC) on Friday, January 13, 2017 as the featured speaker for the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast. The event, which will begin at 8:30 a.m., will be held in the SCC Citizens National Bank Community Room in the Harold Rogers Student Commons on the Somerset Campus at 808 Monticello Street in Somerset.The Unity Breakfast event, held annually to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is free and open to the public, however, reservations are requested. Call Elaine Wilson, SCC Director for Cultural Diversity, at (606) 451-6915 to find our more or make a reservation.
About Ayokunle Odeleye (from odeleyesculpturestudios.com)
Ayokunle Odeleye has been working as a professional sculptor and arts educator for the past thirty eight years. He received a bachelor’s in Art Education from Howard University in 1973 and a master’s degree in sculpture from Howard University in 1975. He taught art at Dunbar High School, The Duke Ellington School for the Arts and Howard University in Washington D.C., and at Woodland Middle School, Spelman College and Georgia State University in Atlanta. Currently he is a senior Professor of Art at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia where he has been teaching for the past twenty two years.
He is the owner, primary designer and fabricator of Odeleye Sculpture Studios in Stone Mountain Georgia. His studio specializes in the creation of large scale sculptures for public spaces in a variety of media. He has created sculptures for cities across the United States from Atlanta to Alaska, many of which have historic significance. The studio also creates finely crafted works of sculpture in a variety of hardwoods and mixed media.
“As a professional sculptor my artistic passion for the past thirty three years has manifested itself through my interest in the field of Public Art. I found this phenomena, structured in a competitive process which requires artists to design large scale works that directly address specific aspects of a public space, to capture my imagination and be more conducive to my personality, artistic goals and high level of technical proficiency,” Odeleye wrote in his artist statement.
Odeleye is also the creator of the Lake Cumberland Slaves Memorial, a sculpture designed to honor the many unmarked slave graves throughout Pulaski and surrounding counties. The memorial, which will be placed on the Somerset Campus of Somerset Community College, came about after a group of concerned citizens brought attention to unmarked slave graves. A non-profit grass roots organization, the Lake Cumberland Slaves Memorial (LCSM) Board, was then created to bring dignity and respect to the final resting place for enslaved Americans in the region.
The proposed artwork features a metal sculpture fabricated from stainless steel and standing 20-feet tall. According to the artist, the sculpture is inspired by African decorative boat paddle designs. Fundraising for the project is currently underway.
At the SCC Unity Breakfast, Odeleye will be signing copies of his book, Ayokunle Odeleye: 32 Years of Public Art, which will be available for purchase.
Annual Lake Cumberland Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Area Community Celebration to take place at First Baptist Church Sunday, January 15 at 2 p.m.
The Annual Lake Cumberland Area Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration will be held at First Baptist Church in downtown Somerset, on Friday, January 15, 2017 at 2 p.m. The event is sponsored by Somerset Community College and is open to the public and free of charge.
The featured speaker for the celebration is Reverend Richard N. Hughes.
About Reverend Richard N. Hughes
Hughes is a 22-year-old minister who is currently serving as the college minister for the St. Stephen Church in Louisville, KY under the direction of Dr. Kevin W. Cosby.
Hughes was born in Lexington and is a graduate of Scott County High School in Georgetown. At the age of 11, Hughes accepted his call to the ministry at the Marblecreek Baptist Church, pastored by Rev. Earl B. Raglin. Upon graduation from high school, Richard attended the Kentucky State University on a music scholarship. Recently, Hughes transferred to Simmons College of KY where he is in his third year, and is majoring in Sociology.
Outside of the classroom, Hughes is actively involved with the student body at Simmons, as he was elected president of the Simmons Scholars. This has allowed him to lead various activities on campus, including a student led protest which sparked local and statewide attention, he said.
Beyond the campus, Hughes is a member of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of KY, where he is a 7th degree Mason. He also serves on the board of the American Baptist Newspaper, and is a member of the NAACP Louisville Branch.
Hughes has a heart for service and uplift, and says he believes that anyone can achieve greatness, because greatness comes from within. His main goal in life is to use the gifts God has given him to glorify God, and be a blessing to mankind, he stated.
Note: Brother Stephen Hall will be leading the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Choir, which will perform at the MLK Community Celebration. A rehearsal for the performance will be held on January 12 at 6 p.m. at First Baptist Church. All are welcome to participate.