1995:
Murray Tinkelman — "The Greatest"
Displayed nationally and internationally, Tinkleman's artistic illustrations
which use baseball cards as their subject matter have earned him acclaim
in the art and sport community. One of the outstanding accomplishments
for Tinkleman (Peeksgill, NY) came in 1995 when he participated with
more than 150 re-knowned illustrators and designers of the baseball
cards at an exhibit entitled "The Artist and the Baseball Card." The
show was attended by thousands at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
and Museum at Coperstown, New York. More
on Tinkelman
1996:
Dr. Liston Bochette III — "Parade of Nations"
A three-time Olympian for the Puerto Rican bobsled team, Bocette has
painted since the early 1980's. He began as an illustrator for Lee
Living & Gulf Coast Magazine in Florida. His work has appeared
in various art exhibits from his home country of Puerto Rico to Barcelona,
Spain; to Caracas, Venezuela. Bochette
began as an accomplished track and field athlete representing his homeland
in the 1983 World University Games, the 1984 Summer Olympics and the
1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics. In 1988, he set the national decathlon
record for Puerto Rico with 7,815 points. More
on Bochette
1997: Paul Goodnight —
"The Boxer"
Traumatized by two years of fierce combat in Vietnam, Goodnight (Boston,
Mass.) returned home mentally devastated and looked to his passion of
art for recovery. Thanks to television and movies, millions of people
see the works of Goodnight and don't even know it. You could be watching
Will Smith in "Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "Seinfeld," "ER" or the award-winning
movie "Ghost," and at some point you may notice his distinctive paintings
on the walls. More
on Goodnight
1998:
James Rizzi — "Nagano in '98"
Well known for his unique 3-D constructions, Rizzi's love and association
with the Olympics began in 1996 when the International Olympic Museum
released the Rizzi catalogue "Dreams of Sport." 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. The same year, he was selected as Official Artist for the FIFA World
Cup Soccer in France. More
on Rizzi
1999:
Aldo Luongo — "Women's World Cup"
Born in Beunos Aires, Argentina, Luongo was an official artist of the
1980 and the 1996 Olympic games in the United States. He has also painted
many works of athletes in sport competition, from basketball to soccer
to track and field. Luongo entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Argentina
at fourteen, but his childhood dream was to follow in his father's footsteps
as a professional soccer player. This dream was actually fulfilled when
he played for the New York Cosmos. Since his soccer career ended due
to injuries, he has twice been chosen to paint the eggs for the White
House Easter Egg Hunt, which are now a part of the Smithsonian collection.
More on Luongo
2000: Charles Billich — "Striking Striker"
For information on Billich, please refer to the biography mentioned previously in the tour. More
on Billich
