Modern Drummer: Rick Allen of Def Leppard to Exhibit His Art at Wentworth Gallery
Wentworth Gallery will present, in its Short Hills, New Jersey, premiere, Rick Allen’s works from his latest collection, titled “Rick Allen: Angels and Icons.” Allen’s art is currently being showcased exclusively in Wentworth Gallery locations throughout the country, and Short Hills is the first stop on the tour. Future cities include metro D.C., South Florida, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.
The collection houses forty-five mixed media originals featuring his personal photography, light art, and painting. Allen will be making a special appearance at this charitable event at Wentworth Gallery Short Hills on Saturday, December 6, 2014 from 5 to 8 pm.
A portion of the proceeds from each sale during the event will be donated to Project Resiliency’s Warrior Resiliency Program, sponsored by Allen’s charity the Raven Drum Foundation, and each purchaser will receive a limited edition, hand-signed Commemorative Purple Heart 14 piece.
“We are honored to present this extraordinary collection in our galleries throughout the country, and to continue our efforts and our tradition of giving back to the men and women who serve our nation so selflessly,” Christian O’Mahony of Wentworth Gallery says. “Our goal is to bring exposure to Project Resiliency through artistry.”
“Music and photography have been passions of mine since I was a boy, and now I am bringing these artistic expressions to life with paint, light, and canvas,” Allen says. “My life has been a journey of transformation, and my art is a reflection of the many facets of dreams and perceptions that have shaped me to be the person I am today. Each piece has a story and a connection to my life from my roots in England, my life-changing car accident, journey to America, travels around the globe, and to my deep connection to Wounded Warriors and their struggle to heal. The collection of union jacks, angels, hearts, and flags express messages of hope, transcendence and the human condition. The colorful pop art renditions of Victorian phone booths in London are created as metaphors of human communication and our need for soulful connection.”
Rick Allen became the drummer for Def Leppard at age fifteen. At the height of worldwide fame in 1984, he had a car accident that changed his life. Allen lost an arm, but turned personal tragedy into spiritual transformation and continued his musical career. While he was already a hero to millions of young people, he soon added millions of new admirers. Since then Rick has been reaching out and giving support to others all over the globe by sharing his personal experiences and his love of drumming. Over the past thirteen years he has reached out to teenage cancer patients, children with special needs, at risk youth in crisis, families of domestic violence, and veterans who have served in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was awarded the Humanitarian Award by Maria Shriver’s Best Buddies of CA in 2002 and in 2012, and was also awarded the prestigious Wounded Warrior Project’s Carry It Forward Award. Rick continues his work helping wounded warriors through Project Resiliency’s Warrior Resiliency Program sponsored by the Raven Drum Foundation.
An integral part of Rick’s creative life went public in 2012. After years of personal photographic work, Allen ventured into the fine art world with a blockbuster debut collection of abstract artwork built from rhythm. Allen has become a pioneer in the new medium, utilizing drumsticks and rhythm to dictate abstract visuals on canvas.
The debut collection, featuring 300 pieces, quickly sold out in its initial offering to the public and boasted a sold out exhibition. A second collection, released in 2013, and titled “Rock-On-Canvas” met with a similar exceptional reception and brought forward a relationship with America’s leading fine art retailer Wentworth Galleries.
Allen’s art is currently being showcased in Wentworth Gallery locations throughout the country. The collection houses mixed-media originals featuring his personal photography, light art, and painting.
The gallery welcomes all Rick Allen enthusiasts and collectors as their invited guests for the special live appearance by the artist. Allen will make a special artist appearance at Wentworth Gallery Short Hills from 5 to 8 pm on Saturday, December 6, 2014. Admission for all registered guests is complimentary. RSVPs are strongly suggested.
For more information about this event, contact the gallery via email at shorthills@wentworthgallery.com or to reach the gallery directly and to RSVP, call 973-564-9776.
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