Robert W. Richards: A Celebration! to Be Presented at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art

The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art is proud to announce, "Robert W. Richards: A Celebration!" On Friday, June 15th from 6-9pm and Saturday, June 16th from 1-8pm, the museum will be conducting a sale of select works from this celebrated artist. Friends and fans of the artist are welcome to visit the museum at this time to purchase art and to meet the artist. The sale will take place at the Leslie-Lohman Project Space (127-B Prince Street New York, NY 10013). The art is only available at this time in this location and personal checks will be the only accepted form of payment.

Robert W. Richards, larger than life in his oversized round black eye glass frames, is a legendary illustrator in the worlds of art and fashion. Born in a French-speaking industrial town in Maine, Richards left home at 16 years old when he was accepted into a university for art in nearby, Boston.

After moving to New York, he began his career as an illustrator sketching fashion collections in Paris, London, Rome, Milan, and Los Angeles for three American newspapers and completing beauty illustrations for L'Oreal, Clairol, and Revlon. His clients included Yves St. Laurent, Valentino and Gaultier, among others.

Acquiring an early interest in jazz, he heard all the jazz greats, later befriending legends, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Peggy Lee and others. He created the album artwork for such stars as Lena Horne, Anita O'Day, Mel Torme, Peggy Lee, and Bob Marley, to name a few, and has illustrated numerous Broadway show posters featuring Frank Langella in Noel Coward's Present Laughter, and Peter Allen in Legs Diamond. Robert had a long working association and close friendship with the original "Boy From Oz," Peter Allen, having illustrated artwork for many of Allen's major concerts, including his multiple record-breaking engagements at Radio City Music Hall in the early 1980's.

Richards has sketched such Hollywood stars as James Dean, Al Pacino, Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, Cher, Hugh Jackman, Audrey Hepburn and Tony Curtis, among many others. His drawings integrate years of observation and attention to detail with the playful sense of humor for which he is so well known.

Most recently, Robert was featured in the Spring, 2016 Kate Spade advertising campaign along with model Jourdan Dunn, fashion muse/style icon Iris Apfel, actress and photographer Syrie Moscowitz, actress and model Anh Duong, fashion illustrator, musician and composer Jon Batisste and author Karly Sciortino. Richards was seen in an enormous marketing campaign throughout NYC and in full page ads in Vanity Fair and elsewhere.

Perhaps best known for his gay erotic art, Robert has long been an ambassador for the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.