Project Overview
I Am Rocket Man | Hollywood Library
“Suzy Hendrix believes in the healing power of art to bring people together at a fundamental level.”
Shooting for the stars and the moon, the work was inspired by the artwork of vintage comic books like Flash Gordon. The mural utilizes 20,000-25,000 hand-colored tiles, installed by Hendrix with help from Central High School students.
The artist states, “I believe in the healing power of art. I believe art brings people of different walks together; together at a fundamental level. I believe that when an underprivileged child perceives beauty in their own environment, then that child will know beauty. If they do not see beauty, they know not of the existence of beauty and art. Public art enriches communities and invites value and pride. I enjoy creating site-specific art and placing them in location in need of beauty—hospitals, public parks, temples of worship.”
About the Artist
SUZY HENDRIX
Suzy Hendrix currently lives in Memphis, TN, where she is the principal artist at Rainbow Stained Glass Studio. In addition to her sculptures at Dalstrom Park, Hendrix has created artwork for Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis Botanical Gardens, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Suzy Hendrix is often inspired by her travel. She toured Europe, Japan, North Africa, and parts of the United States extensively as a saxophonist for an avant-garde performance art troupe, Urban Sax. This travel allowed her to perform in many great architectural wonders of the world; Mont St Michel, Al Haramba, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral of New York. Her love of glass can be traced to a specific moment in time; the Chartes Cathedral of France, where she hung from the bell tower during a performance. Her love of mosaic: perhaps Barcelona, and the great muse that is Prague inspires a love of decorative arts. Her style fluctuates across centuries of muses. Currently based in Memphis, Hendrix believes in the healing power of art to bring people together at a fundamental level. She believes that art is for everyone and that everyone can be, in their own way, an artist.
