22 Facts About Mel Edwards

Melvin "Mel" Edwards was born on May 4,1937 and is an American contemporary artist, teacher, and abstract steel-metal sculptor.

Mel Edwards's artwork has political content often referencing African-American history, as well as the exploration of themes within slavery.

Mel Edwards has had more than a dozen one-person show exhibits and been in over four dozen group shows.

Mel Edwards was raised in Dayton, Ohio for five years, but by middle school age the family moved back to Houston.

Mel Edwards is black and grew up in Houston during a time of racial segregation.

Mel Edwards attended E O Smith Junior High School and Phillis Wheatley High School.

Mel Edwards was a creator from a young age and was encouraged by his parents with his father building his first easel when he was 14 years old.

Mel Edwards was introduced to abstract art by a high school teacher.

Mel Edwards attended Los Angeles County Art Institute during breaks from USC to study sculpture with Renzo Fenci.

Mel Edwards cited jazz music as an influence to his work.

In 1965, Mel Edwards was working in Los Angeles as a driver for a film company, on his breaks he would visit Tamarind Print Institute.

Later in that year, Sugarman had a New York University art exhibition which Mel Edwards photographed for him.

In 1970, Mel Edwards took his first trip to Africa, visiting the West African republics of Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Ghana.

Mel Edwards' work Some Bright Morning started his series called, Lynch Fragments and was a reference to Ralph Ginzburg's anthology, 100 Years of Lynchings.

Mel Edwards created the series as metaphor of the struggles experienced by African Americans.

Mel Edwards is known for smaller freestanding works, the kinetic "Rockers" series.

Mel Edwards used the term "syncopate" to describe the interaction while rocking, and the relationship of syncopation in African-American music.

Mel Edwards is known for works executed in the medium of printmaking.

Mel Edwards has participated in a large number of solo shows in the United States and internationally.

Mel Edwards has participated in many group exhibitions, including the 56th Venice Biennale, Havana Biennial, and Afro-Atlantic Histories.

Mel Edwards was married in 1960 to Karen Hamre, together they had three children.

In 1969, the couple separated, Hamre and the children stayed in Los Angeles while Mel Edwards had already moved to New York City.