James Rizzi

James Rizzi brought a different flavor to the American Sport Art Museum and Archives when he was selected as its 1998 Sport Artist of the Year. Rizzi was the Academy's first recipient to use unique, three-dimensional constructions portraying everyday people and places.

Colorful and spirited, James Rizzi's work displays the artist's fascination with contemporary urban themes. His three-dimensional constructions have been acclaimed for their bold and detailed portrayals of everyday people and places. Whether enjoying a night on the town, sweating out rush hour on the highway or simply enjoying the changing seasons amidst the urban landscape, James Rizzi's friends and neighbors face life's joys and challenges with irrepressible optimism and humor.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rizzi studied art at the University of Florida where he began experimenting with painting, printmaking and sculpting. His goal was to combine all three techniques in his work, an aim that he finally reached in his well-known 3-D constructions. Duplicating images helped him create richly textured pieces, and in his paintings, he is known to incorporate moveable magnetic elements.

Some naysayers describe his approach as too simplistic, but Rizzi comes from the tradition referred to as "primitivism." Something is working, because in 1969, he sold his first etching for a dollar. Now, three decades later, his work is known world-wide. Art critics now have acclaimed his work for his exact use of animation. Every inch of his canvas is used, his skies are crowded with birds, clouds, planes and a sun. Even buildings have faces touting a comical mouth. In life, Rizzi admits to liking crowds, mass confusion and big parades.

His love and association with the Olympics began in 1996 when the International Olympic Museum released the Rizzi catalogue, 'Dreams of Sport." IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch wrote a forward for the catalog and text was provided by George Plimpton. Later that year, he was commissioned to create a series of paintings commemorating the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Two years later, he was selected to create images incorporating the sports included in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Rizzi has given the world vivid images of Olympic stadiums, even after the last day of crowds and color.

In addition, Rizzi has designed record album covers, CD's, stage sets, animated videos, and he was the subject of four films produced for Japanese TV in 1987, 1994, 1996 and 1997. Other accomplishments in 1996 included Lufthansa Airlines' unveiling of the Boeing 757 aircraft which Rizzi was commissioned to design in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their subsidiary Condor Airlines.

In 1997, Rizzi was designated the official artist for the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival held in Montreux, Switzerland. One year later, he was selected as the official artist for FIFA World Cup Soccer, France, and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater University of Florida.

Today, Rizzi continues to articulate through his art the influences and emotions experienced by everyone. The universal artist has truly found an enthusiastic following throughout the world.