Thursday, September 11, 2008

Sculptor Tina Allen dies at 58 in Los Angeles


LOS ANGELES—Sculptor Tina Allen, who depicted such figures as Martin Luther King Jr. and Fredrick Douglas in her works, has died. She was 58.

Allen died Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital from complications of a heart attack, said her ex-husband, Roger Allen.

Among her bronze sculptures are George Washington Carver in the St. Louis Botanical Garden; Douglas in the African American Museum in Birmingham, Ala.; Sojourner Truth in Battle Creek, Mich.; and King in Las Vegas.

Allen may be best known for her 13-foot statue of "Roots" author Alex Haley located in Haley's hometown of Knoxville, Tenn.

Allen was born in December 1949 in New York. Her father was jazz musician Gordon "Specs" Powell. When she was 11 years old, she worked with renowned sculptor William Zorach. She graduated from the University of South Alabama and later continued her education at the Pratt Institute in New York and the University of Venice in Italy.

She is survived by her mother, Rosecleer Powell; her three children, Koryan Allen, Josephine Allen and Tara Allen; and two grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for next month in Los Angeles.

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On the Net:

http://www.tinaallen.com

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