The Tribune

By ALBERT COX

ONE of the highlights of last week’s naming ceremony of Mychal Thompson Boulevard was the unveiling of 28 specially commissioned portraits by Jamaal Rolle of Bahamian sporting stars adorning the “Sports Legends Walk” at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.

The many dignitaries, legends, guests and spectators paid tribute to the work of Mr Rolle, the Celebrity Artist and The Tribune’s cartoonist, for capturing the detail, spirit and essence of his subjects, immortalising them. Obie Wilchcombe, the Minister of Tourism, said Mr Rolle had “made history here in the Bahamas ... you are now a part of the living history in the Bahamas with what you have done here”.

Mr Thompson, aka ‘Sweet Bells’ who had a distinguished 13-year NBA career winning two championships, was impressed. “This is great, this is remarkable, amazing talent,” he said. Earlier he had compared Mr Rolle’s work to Rembrandt, one of the greatest European portrait artists. ‘Golden Girl’ Debbie Ferguson asked Mr Rolle for his autograph, as creator and artist of the portraits and now a celebrity in his own right.

Prime Minister Perry Christie compared Mr Rolle’s progress to that of Amos Ferguson, saying, “It is possible with Jamaal’s talent to reach international acclaim in the places such as the Smithsonian and other elite art galleries and museums”.

Mr Rolle said he was “humbled and honoured” to be asked for his autograph by one of the premier icons in the history of sports in the Bahamas. “I was amazed by the many other persons who came to ask for my autograph,” he said. “ It was really a humbling experience that I sincerely cherish in being recognised by my fellow Bahamians. Creating the portraits, I was infused with much inspiration to do all of them, some in particular held a special meaning to me, like Sir Durward Knowles who is a close personal friend and mentor to me, someone I look up too.

“Cecil Cooke meant a lot to me as well, because I am always happy to keep his memory and legacy alive to the Bahamian public. Mychal Thompson, who was the influential figure in putting the Bahamas on the map for basketball, the Golden Girls who inspired our nation in this modern era of track and field and many other of the legends that inspired me to be a better Bahamian and strive for excellence.

“I was happy when we sat and discussed the formation of this idea in conjunction with the Minister of Tourism and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture and the input they allowed me to have with assisting in the formation of this cultural, iconic establishment. In addition much credit is due to both Ministers, for the centrality of the location, and the possible effect it will have on the local students in our country who come here and see the establishment of these legends, along with international tourists who seek to learn more about the spirit and tenacity of what the Bahamas is able to accomplish. What has been established here is powerful symbol of inspiration that we must respect as a nation.

“With this being the first 28 Bahamian Legends, I look forward to the added selection of new legends that will be a part of this Sports Walk of Fame and the continuation long after I am gone that the generations to come would reflect and understand the beauty of what has been established for the benefit of the country. For I believe no country progresses without inspiring acts of symbolism on display that can inspire the minds of its people.”

The 28 portraits in the Sports Legends Walk are of Mychal “Sweets Bells” Thompson, Thomas Augustus “Tommy” Robinson, Osborne “The Wizard” Lockhart, Sir Durward Knowles, Cecil Cooke, Andre Rodgers, Everette “Elisha Obed” Ferguson, William “Yama Bahama” Butler Jr, Captain Rolly Gray, Wenty Ford, Ed Armbrister, Anthony Caroll, Frank Rutherford, Rick Fox, Mark Knowles, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Debbie Ferguson, Eldece Clarke, Savatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Chris “Fireman” Brown, Tonique Williams, Leevan Sands, Michael Mathieu, Demetrius Pinder, Ramon Miller, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace and Tureano Johnson.

Follow Jamaal Rolle on Twitter @thecelebartist and on Instagram @thecelebrityartist and visit the celebrityartist.com