Tina Allen
- December 9, 1949
- September 9, 2008
- 58 years
- pneumonia
About Tina Allen
Tina Allen, 58, American sculptor, pneumonia.
Explore other notable deaths in 2008 or deaths in September 2008.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Tina Allen?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Tina Allen (December 9, 1949 – September 9, 2008) was an American sculptor known for her monuments to prominent African Americans, including Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver, and A. Philip Randolph.
Early life and education
Allen was born Tina Powell in Hempstead, New York in 1949 to father Gordon "Specs" Powell, a jazz drummer who played in the Ed Sullivan Show band, and Grenada-born Rosecleer Powell. Her mother was a writer and a nurse, and one of Allen's uncles was a sculptor. Allen began painting at 5 years old; by the time she was 10 she was setting up her easel to paint the seascape of Grenada, West Indies where she lived until her early teens. Allen's parents divorced when she was young. She lived with her mother for four years. While living with her mother in New York city, she met a sculptor by the name of William Zorach who later on became her mentor.
Allen was an artistic child who began sculpting at the age of 13, when she was assigned to make an ashtray and instead created a bust of Aristotle. She was mentored by the Lithuanian-American sculptor William Zorach who declared her a prodigy. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of South Alabama in 1978. She also studied at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and received her Masters at the Pratt Institute.
People described her art as a history in bronze because she always focused on important black historical figures and wanted to portray them through sculpture. Allen often focused on the Harlem Renaissance. She also had periods of her work focus specifically on black men and then she turned her interest to black women.
After college she volunteered for AmeriCorps VISTA and for several years hosted a local television show on the arts in Mobile, Alabama.
Career
Allen's first major work was a nine-foot bronze statue of A. Philip Randolph, leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Commissioned in 1986, the piece is displayed in Boston's Back Bay commuter train station and is featured on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.
Over the next two decades Allen continued creating realistic sculptures of black activists for display in public spaces. Her work is also collected by museums, corporations and private collectors. Explaining her motivation, she said in an interview, "My work is not about me, it's about us." Not only does her work serve to emphasize the contributions and aspirations of the African Diaspora but also works to create a "visual landscape that is nurturing and life affirming to people of color" in celebrating the beauty of African Americans.
One of her best known works is a 13-foot bronze likeness of Alex Haley, which was installed in the Haley Heritage Square Park in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1998. Her statue of George Washington Carver is the focal point of the George Washington Carver Garden at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis. Her 12-foot bronze monument to Sojourner Truth is displayed in Memorial Park Battle Creek, Michigan. Her bust of Frederick Douglass is on display at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; it was featured in a scene in the movie Akeelah and the Bee. She is part of the permanent collection at the Schomburg Center for Black Culture and the African-American museum in Long Island, New York. Allen also crafted a bronze medallion for the Women of Essence awards, which annually honor Black women of outstanding accomplishment and achievement. Other subjects include Ralph Bunche, Sammy Davis Jr., Charles R. Drew, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Betty Shabazz, Tupac Shakur, Nat King Cole, James Baldwin, and Dorothy Dandridge.
Personal life
Allen was married twice and had three children, Koryan, Josephine, and Tara. She died of a heart attack due to complications of pneumonia in Los Angeles on September 9, 2008.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Tina Allen on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Allen
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 28, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Tina Allen's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Tina Allen born?
- A.Knoxville, Tennessee
- B.Los Angeles, California
- C.Hempstead, New Yorkcorrect
- D.Mobile, Alabama
Tina Allen was born Tina Powell in Hempstead, New York in 1949.
Source: Early life and education section
2.What was the profession of Tina Allen's father, Gordon 'Specs' Powell?
- A.Sculptor
- B.Nurse
- C.Jazz drummercorrect
- D.Writer
Tina Allen's father, Gordon 'Specs' Powell, was a jazz drummer who played in the Ed Sullivan Show band.
Source: Early life and education section
3.At what age did Tina Allen begin sculpting?
- A.5 years old
- B.13 years oldcorrect
- C.18 years old
- D.10 years old
Tina Allen began sculpting at the age of 13 when she created a bust of Aristotle instead of an assigned ashtray.
Source: Early life and education section
4.Who was the Lithuanian-American sculptor that served as Tina Allen's mentor?
- A.A. Philip Randolph
- B.Frederick Douglass
- C.William Zorachcorrect
- D.George Washington Carver
Tina Allen was mentored by the Lithuanian-American sculptor William Zorach who declared her a prodigy.
Source: Early life and education section
5.From which university did Tina Allen earn a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1978?
- A.University of South Alabamacorrect
- B.Pratt Institute
- C.University of Alabama
- D.School of Visual Arts
Tina Allen earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of South Alabama in 1978.
Source: Early life and education section
6.What type of work did Tina Allen do after college in Mobile, Alabama?
- A.Painted seascapes
- B.Taught sculpture
- C.Hosted a television showcorrect
- D.Worked as a nurse
After college, Tina Allen volunteered for AmeriCorps VISTA and hosted a local television show on the arts in Mobile, Alabama.
Source: Early life and education section
7.What was the subject of Tina Allen's first major bronze work commissioned in 1986?
- A.Frederick Douglass
- B.A. Philip Randolphcorrect
- C.George Washington Carver
- D.Sojourner Truth
Tina Allen's first major work was a nine-foot bronze statue of A. Philip Randolph commissioned in 1986.
Source: Career section
8.In which city is Tina Allen's 13-foot bronze likeness of Alex Haley installed?
- A.Battle Creek, Michigan
- B.St. Louis, Missouri
- C.Boston, Massachusetts
- D.Knoxville, Tennesseecorrect
Tina Allen's 13-foot bronze likeness of Alex Haley was installed in the Haley Heritage Square Park in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1998.
Source: Career section
9.Where is the monument to Sojourner Truth created by Tina Allen located?
- A.New York, New York
- B.Boston, Massachusetts
- C.Birmingham, Alabama
- D.Battle Creek, Michigancorrect
Tina Allen's 12-foot bronze monument to Sojourner Truth is displayed in Memorial Park in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Source: Career section
10.Which film featured Tina Allen's bust of Frederick Douglass?
- A.The Beauty of African Americans
- B.Akeelah and the Beecorrect
- C.Songs of Bronze
- D.The Harlem Renaissance
Tina Allen's bust of Frederick Douglass is on display at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and was featured in a scene in the movie Akeelah and the Bee.
Source: Career section
11.For which specific award did Tina Allen craft a bronze medallion?
- A.Women of Essence awardscorrect
- B.Back Bay Commuter Awards
- C.Harlem Renaissance honors
- D.Civil Rights Institute medals
Tina Allen crafted a bronze medallion for the Women of Essence awards, which honor Black women of outstanding accomplishment.
Source: Career section
12.What was the cause of Tina Allen's death in 2008?
- A.A stroke
- B.A heart attackcorrect
- C.Cancer
- D.Pneumonia
Tina Allen died of a heart attack due to complications of pneumonia in Los Angeles on September 9, 2008.
Source: Personal life section
13.What were the names of Tina Allen's three children?
- A.James, Dorothy, and Marcus
- B.Akeelah, Ralph, and Sammy
- C.George, Frederick, and Nat
- D.Koryan, Josephine, and Taracorrect
Tina Allen had three children named Koryan, Josephine, and Tara.
Source: Personal life section
14.In what city did Tina Allen pass away?
- A.Boston
- B.Los Angelescorrect
- C.New York City
- D.Knoxville
Tina Allen died in Los Angeles on September 9, 2008.
Source: Personal life section
15.What specific historical period did Tina Allen often focus her work on?
- A.The Colonial Era
- B.The Great Depression
- C.The Industrial Revolution
- D.The Harlem Renaissancecorrect
Tina Allen often focused her work on the Harlem Renaissance.
Source: Early life and education section
16.Which of the following people was a subject of one of Tina Allen's sculptures?
- A.Tupac Shakurcorrect
- B.Ed Sullivan
- C.William Zorach
- D.Gordon Powell
Tina Allen's other subjects include Ralph Bunche, Sammy Davis Jr., Charles R. Drew, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., and Tupac Shakur.
Source: Career section
People who died on September 9
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Tina Allen →Advertisement
