An afternoon of live sparring and art was on full display at the So Ill Syndicate gym on Saturday, Sept 20, as Pharoah Boxing collaborated with Lexy’s Art Room to raise money through a colorful combination of combat and craft. 

Friends and family gathered to show their support for their fighters, participated in painting and were complimented to free pizza. Inside, the public was greeted to a unique display of paintings from Lexy’s Art Room, each piece with its own theme and art style. The afternoon was filled with fiery fighting, where spectators watched from outside the ring. Despite the intensity of each sparring session, no fighter left the ring without congratulating their opponent. As boxers continued to battle, one person in particular sat in focus, working on a canvas in the corner of the gym. 

Lexy Estes transitioned from a college student with a psychology degree to pursuing art full time during the COVID-19 pandemic. She now co-runs Lexy’s Art Room, with her partner, Joseph Anderson. Estes shared her story of finding meaning and comfort in art throughout her life, serving as a medicine in her mental health. 

“To me, art is therapy. Art is expression. Art is freedom,” she said. 

Although Estes majored in psychology, she also minored in art, and even had her own art space for paint and crafts in her three-bedroom apartment during college. 

“My friends and family referred to it as Lexy’s Art Room,” she said. 

As her space got more crowded, Estes moved into an art studio, where she opened it to the public. During this time, Project Human X, another art organization, hired her to teach painting classes. 

“I realized, ‘wow, I really do love doing this,’” she said.

Estes said she believes that many adults forget what it feels like to be childlike, free and experimental with colors and textures. 

“You don’t have to make something beautiful, as long as you’re expressing yourself,” she said.

Breathing, stillness and mindfulness are all possible while making art, she said. 

Estes’ partner, Anderson, who also paints, found himself in the talks of hosting an event with his boxing gym coach. 

Willie Martinez, founder of Pharoah Boxing Club, is one of the head coaches and main organizers of events like Punches and Paintings. As Anderson and Martinez grew to know each other in the gym, they shared an interest in collaborating for a charitable event. 

Martinez said he hated boxing as a child, but then began using it as a therapeutic instrument and eventually started his own club for others. 

Martinez started boxing in eighth grade after his cousin introduced him to the sport. Initially, he disliked it after a memorable first practice where he was beaten by the coach’s daughter, causing him to briefly give it up. After finding himself in some trouble at school, Martinez returned to boxing as a therapeutic outlet. 

“The first day I was at practice, my coach told me, no gang-banging, get good grades and no drugs,” he said. “And that pretty much turned me around after that.” 

Martinez continued boxing throughout high school and after his service in the Marines, joining different boxing clubs around Chicago. When he moved to southern Illinois in 2008, Willy found a small issue that would reveal itself to be an opportunity to help others. 

“There wasn’t any boxing clubs, so I would just box at the SIU Rec Center every now and then,” he said. “And they had a pretty decent club going.” 

When Martinez found himself in a stable position, he opened his own boxing club, with help from friends from a previous Mixed Martial Arts gym in Marion. Originally running the gym from a two-car garage, he started teaching kids and adults. 

“From being a registered USA Boxing Club, it grew to being a small nonprofit,” he said.

Martinez shared his comfort with welcoming new beginners into his gym, and didn’t mind coming out in his house sandals to help with practice. 

Martinez teamed up with So Ill Syndicate’s gym owner, Daniel Presely, to move the club, providing the space that is now open to the public, located at 215 S Illinois Ave.

Presely, who is involved in different martial arts like, tae kwon do, Muay Thai, and more, is explicit about the certification and professionalism needed of the coaches that teach the students to be the best that they can be. 

“If people like it a lot and they’ve got a little bit of propensity to continue doing it, then we push them up through the classes,” Presley said. “That’s when they start becoming members of the club, and they can show their dedication that way.”

Martinez emphasized the importance of community service, using the boxing club to help those inside and outside the gym. Realizing purpose may not just be found in a gym, Martinez’s idea for a community car wash was one of many ways of giving back. 

“That car wash was to raise funds for our scholarship to help kids who don’t have funds to pay for their USA Boxing memberships to help families that are on financial assistance,” he said. 

The gym also has worked with Chef Rotary Kitchen, giving out meals for free near Washington Street. 

Both Martinez and Presley plan to host several more fundraising events in the near future, with the most recent being two of six or seven planned. One being an event in support of breast cancer awareness month, hoping to include more businesses from the strip and Carbondale. 

All proceeds from Punches and Painting benefit the Southern Illinois Collaborative Kitchen, a non profit run by staff at Cristaudo’s in Carbondale. They provide food to families affected by illnesses, financial hardships and others in need. 

Staff reporter Leonardo Castro can be reached at [email protected]

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