Sculptor Scheed Cole transforms lives beyond art with 360 Applied Design
Published:Saturday | February 3, 2024 | 12:09 AMJanet Silvera/ Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Scheed Cole’s monumental sculptures have captured global acclaim, yet the impact he has made extends far beyond the art world.
As an educator, trainer, sculptor, and engineer, his most impressive mark is imprinted on the lives of youths ages 16 to 20, who are part of his 360 Applied Design programme, a transformative initiative focused on empowering Jamaica’s most vulnerable youth.
Born in Montego Bay, Cole’s formative years were shaped by the hardships of Kingston’s ghettos, where he grappled with the challenges of his parents’ divorce, financial struggles, and the allure of gang membership.
Despite these adversities, Cole made a conscious decision to prioritise education. This commitment resulted in academic success, affording him the opportunity to pursue a career in teaching.
Following a stint in education, he furthered his studies and dedicated 15 years to teaching, specialising in music. He also collaborated with the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement.
“My personal experiences and the hurdles I faced inspired a profound connection to assisting young people in similar situations. This inspiration led to the establishment of 360 Applied Design, where the emphasis lies in crafting innovative solutions to prevailing challenges,” he shared.
Today, parents from all over Jamaica entrust their children, whom they find challenging to control, but are reluctant to place in the government system, to his guidance.
Cole’s approach is threefold, addressing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of individuals; creating a transformative environment by relocating young people from their communities to the programme’s farm in Linstead, St Catherine; and providing a holistic setting for development.
The father of seven says the programme accommodates both boys and girls in separate dormitories, emphasising a structured routine that includes three meals a day and skill-based training. The demand for enrolment is high, with a significant waiting list.
On the day GoodHeart interviewed Cole, he was putting the finishing touch on the 12-foot Wallabees he had built to complement the cultural museum of sorts that Jamaican hotelier, Christopher Issa has created at his S Hotel in Montego Bay.
The shoe is designed to be authentic with stitches at the front and textured sides resembling real Wallabees. The colour choices include yellow, black, and green, with a cultural connection, almost resembling Rastafari colours.
“It was initially intended for people to view the shoe from the outside, but the decision was made to allow people to go inside it, creating a unique and immersive experience,” Cole said.
On site was his 17-year-old son Ajalon, who has been working with his father on various projects since the age of 13. Ajalon is involved in sculptural design and assists in refining sculptures.
He shares that he was home-schooled initially but later attended high school. “Working with my dad and all the other young people around me had a positive impact on me. His method of teaching is effective and it leads [to] proper attitude and work ethic,” Ajalon told GoodHeart.
Recognising the importance of nurturing, Cole’s children became a part of his business from as early as age eight.
Along with his wife Keisha Cole, they focus on breaking stereotypes about artists and encourage individuals to have options and skills beyond traditional academic studies.
Another youngster, whose confidence and hopes have elevated since joining the programme is 19-year-old Javiah Henry, who has been in the 360 Applied Design programme for just over a year. She has been trained in fibreglass, carpentry, welding, painting and sculpting, and attitude.
“Attitude is most important in the programme. We learn about 95 per cent attitude, five per cent skills,” said Henry.
Originally from Ewarton St Catherine, the 19-year-old said she was introduced to the programme by a friend. “I was looking for a summer job after high school. I met Mr Cole and he said I could work as a trainee.”
Henry said she was on her way to Edna Manley College of the Performing Arts, where she was accepted, but changed gears after experiencing the life-changing activities in Lindstead. Henry is not from a troubled background, “In fact, from a very boring one,” she quipped.
Cole’s name is behind the fabulous Miss Lou (Louise Bennett-Coverly) and Jimmy Cliff sculptures, as well as the ones dedicated to the country’s national heroes at the S Hotel.
His work is on show at the cultural yard, First Street Trench Town, but he speaks of his crowning joy being the Natural History Museum of Jamaica in downtown, Kingston, where he transformed interior spaces of the museum into outdoor natural environments, such as dry forest areas, coral reefs, the sea and canopies.
Coupled with his magnificent presentations in Kingston and Spanish Town, he is the resident artist at the S Hotel in Montego Bay, which has become a cultural museum of sorts, showcasing the best of Jamaica’s culture.
Scheed Cole’s larger-than-life sculptures have garnered attention worldwide, he has created a niche and is renowned for his extreme engineering skills, which is where his passion is. Since age five he was creating robots and designing things from waste material.
“Anyone in Jamaica or internationally that have something challenging that requires a good amount of engineering and kind of perfectionist attitude towards completion, that’s where I come in.”
Cole has garnered attention from Jamaica Fibreglass Products, leading to a commission to create an iconic 12-foot horse for the American food chain PF Chang. This horse stands as a signature piece at the entrance to their restaurants.
Cole would not give out too much about his latest project, saying it would be unfair to the people who opened the doors for this opportunity.