Leroy Allen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leroy Allen
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|---|---|
| Born | May 24, 1951 |
| Died | March 9, 2007 (aged 55) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Kansas School of Fine Arts |
| Occupation | artist |
| Children | Daughters Jaime and LeTia |
Leroy Allen (1951-2007) was an amazing American artist. He was known for his realistic watercolor paintings and drawings. His art often showed scenes from African American life and communities. He won more than 30 national art awards for his beautiful work.
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Biography
Leroy Allen grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He showed his artistic talent very early! In second grade, he won his first art prize. It was a National Scholastic Art Award for a crayon drawing of a horse show. He called it “At the American Royal.”
When he was in high school, a local newspaper hired Allen. It was called the Progressive Shopper News, and it was owned by Black people. Allen drew a weekly cartoon for them. The cartoon was about a character named Sly, who was a criminal who always failed. The comic was meant to teach young people to stay away from crime. Later, this comic series became a comic book.
After high school, Allen joined the Army. He served in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in 1972.
Allen went to the University of Kansas School of Fine Art and graduated in 1977. In 1980, he started working at Hallmark Cards. Hallmark is famous for its greeting cards. Allen became a technical supervisor there. He worked with and showed his art alongside many other talented Hallmark artists. Some of these artists included Thomas Blackshear and Dean Mitchell. Allen retired from Hallmark Cards after working there for 24 years.
A famous art critic named Doug MacCash once wrote about Allen's skill. He said that watercolor painting is very hard to master. He felt that great watercolor artists like Allen could make paintings look effortless. It was like walking across snow without leaving any footprints!
Exhibitions
Leroy Allen's art was shown in many places. Here are some of the exhibitions where his work was featured:
| Year | Exhibit | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Reflections '90 | Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center, Kansas City, MO | This was a special show where artists were chosen to participate. Allen's oil painting, “Big Wind,” showed a jazz bassist. |
| 1992 | Gallery '92 | Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities, Kansas City, MO | A curator from the National Museum of American Art helped choose the art. Allen won an award for his character study called “Ma'am.” |
| 1999 | The Kansas City Six: A Reunion | Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center, Kansas City, MO | This show featured art by Leroy Allen and five other artists, including Thomas Blackshear II and Dean Mitchell. |
| 2000 | Black Creativity | Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL | Allen's art was also part of this exhibit in 1996, 1997, and 1998. |
| 2002 | Black Romantic | Studio Museum in Harlem | Allen's works included watercolors like “Contemplation” and “Sundrops.” He also showed charcoal drawings like “The Glance” and “Papa Jim.” Other famous artists like Kadir Nelson were also in this show. |
| 2003 | Celebrations and Investigations: African-American Artists in Kansas City Collections | Gallery at Village Shalom, Kansas City Jewish Museum, MO | This exhibit showed art from many African-American artists, including Leroy Allen, Kerry James Marshall, and Kara Walker. |
| 2003 | The Light in the Other Room | American Jazz Museum, Kansas City, MO | The curator, Willis “Bing” Davis, chose 20 artists for this show, including Allen. |
| 2004 | Sacred Center | Stella Jones Gallery, New Orleans, LA | This was a special show featuring only Leroy Allen and Dennis Paul Williams. |
| 2004 | Southern Journeys | Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria LA | Allen was one of 80 artists in this exhibit. Famous artists like Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden were also included. |
| 2005 | Second Light | Carter Art Center Gallery, Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, MO | Fourteen artists showed their work here, including Allen and Dean Mitchell. |
| 2007 | You Know What's Real | Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS | This exhibit featured drawings and paintings on paper from the museum's own collection, including some of Allen's work. |
| 2009 | Collaborations: Two Decades of African American Art: Hearne Fine Art 1988-2008 | Pyramid / Hearne Fine Art, Little Rock, AR | This large exhibit featured 57 artists, including Leroy Allen, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jonathan Green. |
| 2012 | Shades of Greatness | Campanella Gallery, Park University , Arkville, MO | This was a traveling exhibit organized by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It had 35 pieces, including art by Leroy Allen and Kadir Nelson. |
| 2017 | A Dazzling Decade | Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS | This show displayed art from the museum's permanent collection, including pieces by Allen. |
Awards
Leroy Allen won many awards for his art. Here are some of them:
- “Nestle in Sunset” won the Miriam Whitsett Memorial Award at the Mississippi Museum of Art (2003).
- “Sundrops,” a watercolor painting, won the Connoisseur Award at the California Watercolor Association's 35th National Exhibition (2003).
- He received a Jurors Award at the Arizona Aqueous XVI 2001 National Juried Exhibition (2001).
- “Papa Jim,” a charcoal drawing, won the Best Drawing Award at the Bosque Conservatory Art Council's 16th Annual National Art Competition (2001).
- He won a Merchandise Award from the Pastel Society of North Florida at the Fort Walton Beach Museum of Art (1998).
- “Ma'am” (Tribute to P.H. Polk) won the Juror's Award of Excellence at the Oklahoma Art Workshops' 11th Annual National Juried Exhibition (1994).
Collections
Leroy Allen's artwork is part of several important art collections:
- Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kansas
- Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art
- Sprint Nextel Art Collection: This collection includes Allen's painting called “American Sunrise.” It is a still life showing a blue pitcher with berries.
- St. Louis City Hall: A portrait of the first African American mayor of St. Louis, Freeman R. Bosley, Jr., was painted by Leroy Allen. It hangs on the second floor of City Hall.
Death
Leroy Allen passed away in 2007. In 2008, another artist named Lonnie Powell created a charcoal portrait of Allen. It was called “This One I'll Do (For Leroy)” and was shown in an exhibit called “To Create a Better World: Artists as Educators.”
