Mid-Atlantic Folk Art: Boxer

Monday, April 30, 2012

Everett Mayo

Boxer Turned Folk Artist

A former heavyweight boxer known as The Tornado, Everett Mayo was born in Roanoke, Virginia in 1959. As a boxer, he was based in Richmond. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tilton Washington, live in Elberon. Mayo began boxing in the army and continued boxing in a professional capacity after leaving the military. His boxing career was cut short by a construction accident that left him legally blind in one eye. After retiring from boxing, Mayo returned to his love of art and started producing folk art using pieces of driftwood found on riverbanks. Looking for shapes in the wood, Mayo paints birds, fish, and other animals as well as human figures. Basically, he uses the wood as it is found rather than carving it. His pieces range from small figures to a six-foot tall giraffe and a seven-foot long shark.

The first showing of his work was in 1993; he has since exhibited in several museums. He participated in the Virginia Art Residency program and also provided art workshops for children in Central and Western Virginia as well as St. Helena, South Carolina. Mayo also appeared on Gullah Gullah Island, a Nickelodeon program, with a segment highlighting his art and creativity. He now makes his home in Galveston, Texas with his wife Sarah.