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| Images © by WUWM 89.7 FM |
There are some artists that affect your life instantaneously—their
light and generosity shines brightly through them. As a young artist in
Milwaukee, I felt immediately connected to Mr. Sims, upon first meeting him. I
was struck by his genuine kindness, and his willingness to welcome me into his
home.
Sylvester Sims was born December 21, 1928, and is a well collected and accomplished visual
artist living in Milwaukee, WI. A self-taught master artist, he is the winner of the 23rd annual
Black Excellence Award, and numerous awards throughout Wisconsin. He is also an integral part of Wisconsin Black
History. His story of triumph and passion came before his amazing creative
journey.
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| Images © by WUWM 89.7 FM |
Sims competed in
swimming (High Diving), Weight lifting, Amateur Boxing, Track, and Semi pro
Football. In 1943 he won the Bronzeville Swimming and Diving competition. In
1944 he pulled off an upset by winning the state AAU High Diving Championship.
Sylvester Sims became the first black man in Wisconsin history to win a High
Diving Championship. [1]
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| Images © by WUWM 89.7 FM |
Upon entering his home, he was kind enough to share with me
a view of his studio, which was impeccable. He had amassed a large amount of
paintings and drawings over the years, many of them awe inspiring and skillfully
executed. It was clear that he was a deeply fervent artist. There was a
portrait sitting on his easel, and he sat down in his neatly kept studio to
show me how he mastered the oil paint.
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| © Sylvester Sims |
Many of his paintings were portraits, some people he’d
known, and others that he’d imagined, and trickled in were a few remarkable
landscapes. His masterful renderings captivated my young eye, and I realized that the
level of skill that it took to create those pieces was something that I had only
dreamed to achieve. After leaving his studio, he took me downstairs to give me a
print of one of his charcoal drawings. He was adept at several mediums. His
basement was stacked from top to bottom with canvasses, and there was even more
art neatly placed about, and easels with larger works in progress.
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| © Sylvester Sims |
That day as I sat with Mr. Sims, and listened to him
passionately talk about his art and his family. I didn’t know if I would ever see
him again because shortly after, I left Wisconsin. Mr. Sims left an indelible mark on my heart and mind. I
realized that creating is less about the money you make, but more about the
passion within, the drive to express something deep within oneself. His work
captures the human spirit; the essence of what connects us all.
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| Images © by WUWM 89.7 FM |
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| Images © by WUWM 89.7 FM |
Mr. Sylvester Sims continues to create well into his 80’s,
but he is currently facing the most challenging battle of his life. My heart is with him and his family during this difficult time.
His light continues to shine to inspire other artists to
pursue their passions from an authentic place and his works are a continued
reminder of his success, and gift to the world.
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| Images © by WUWM 89.7 FM |
Images courtesy of and copyrighted © by http://www.flickr.com/photos/wuwm/ unless otherwise noted.
To see more art by Sylvester Sims visit http://www.theeartguild.com/color.html
Here is a video of Mr. Sims at work :
All images are © copyrighted by the artist unless otherwise noted. Images cannot be reproduced without permission of the artist.
Cultured Artists™ ©2012
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