Raymond Thunder-Sky’s Legacy: Anyone Can Create

by Joe Mitchell, Art Equals Intern

Just outside of our home at the Hellmann Creative Center, looking out towards Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., is a silver bust of a man in a hard hat and a clown collar. To some, this may seem completely random, but to others, this is a tribute to local artist and Cincinnati legend, Raymond Thunder-Sky. Although not many people knew his name throughout his lifetime, Raymond impacted Cincinnati’s entire artistic community.

Raymond was born in California in 1950 to Richard Brightfire Thunder-Sky– ironworker, Hollywood actor, and Mohawk chief– and Irene Szalatzky, daughter of a Hungarian immigrant. As a child, Raymond developed a love for the circus, as well as an admiration for his father’s work on construction sites, both of which played a role in his identity as an artist. His family moved to Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood when Raymond was just over 10 years old, and he resided there for the rest of his life.

It was here in Cincinnati that Raymond developed a local fame. He was known to frequent construction and demolition sites, wearing his signature hard hat and clown collar. Then, using Magic Markers stored in a construction worker lunch box, he would create colorful drawings of the construction sites. His drawings were often accompanied by a caption of what was replacing the site, or what he imagined could be replacing it, anything from a new highway to a “Transformer Farm.”

His art eventually caught the eye of Keith Banner and Bill Ross, both of whom worked locally in the field of developmental disabilities. Out of their admiration for Raymond’s drawings, the two of them curated an exhibition in Over-The-Rhine in 2001 for a group of artists, including Raymond. It was from here that Keith and Bill were moved to create Visionaries + Voices, a nonprofit in Northside to support artists with disabilities in creating and sharing their art. Raymond Thunder-Sky was one of their founding artists in 2002.

When Raymond died of cancer in 2004, he left behind thousands of his drawings. But more importantly, he left an immense impact on those he had met over the years. Keith and Bill went on to found Thunder-Sky Inc. in Northside in 2009, which, up until its closing in 2020, honored Raymond’s art and showcased a number of other local artists. Antonio Adams, a fellow artist alongside Raymond at the OTR exhibition in 2001 and at Visionaries + Voices, designed a mural honoring Raymond in the style of his old drawings, which is still featured outside of Visionaries + Voices today. And, of course, Raymond continues to be honored with the bust outside of the Hellmann Creative Center, co-designed by Tom Tsuchiya, who is known for sculpting the statues at Great American Ballpark.

But most of all, Raymond left a legacy on everyone who has seen or heard about his art. As an individual with a developmental disability, the son of a Mohawk chief, and an artist who had no problem walking around town dressed as a clown, Raymond Thunder-Sky was, without a doubt, unique. But Keith Banner, in a 2020 interview with Cincinnati Magazine, described that Raymond’s uniqueness “wasn’t really anchored in disability, wasn’t really anchored in folk art. It was anchored in Ray.” Keith’s goal with Thunder-Sky Inc. was to celebrate Raymond, “someone who created a space for himself in the world that didn’t really care if he had one or not.” As different as Raymond may seem, the thing that people loved about him is far more universal. As Keith put it, “I think what we found is that his strangeness and uniqueness and weirdness is ours.”

In many ways, Raymond’s approach to art captures the essence of the Art Equals mission. Not only do we believe that anyone can create, but we believe that creative opportunities should be accessible to everyone. Whether it be our monthly Creative Gathering at Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, our events like the Fiber Art Hive that welcomes artists of all experience levels, or our upcoming fabric arts workshops with Collective Visions Community Program (a fantastic group that provides opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to build community), we strive to overcome mental, physical, cultural, economic, or geographic barriers that may limit people from feeling like artists.

If there’s anyone that knew how to overcome these creative barriers, it was Raymond Thunder-Sky. By being so very different, Raymond Thunder-Sky reminded us that being our authentic selves is something that other people want to celebrate– and ultimately, something that connects us all the more with others. Raymond’s statue outside of the Hellmann Creative Center welcomes all who enter our space, and stands as an encouraging symbol to create art that uniquely expresses you. Because that uniqueness is yours.

To find ways to express your own creativity in community gatherings, check out our events page to get involved with Art Equals!

Sources:

HISTORY — Visionaries + Voices

New Home for Raymond Thunder-Sky's Art (2009)

Raymond Thundersky: The Cincinnati Construction Clown (2021)

Raymond Thundersky — Disparate Minds (2015)

The Raymond Thunder-Sky Legacy Mural | ArtWorks Cincinnati

Thunder-Sky, Inc. Deconstructing a Legacy of Art

Thunder-Sky, Inc. In Northside Will Close Its Doors At the End of 2020 - Cincinnati Magazine (2020)