PORTRAITS BY LESLIE ADAMS INCLUDED IN RIFFE GALLERY EXHIBITION
January 27, 2011 – Two large-scale charcoal portraits by Toledo artist, Leslie Adams, are included in Here’s Looking at You: Portraits by Ohio Artists, at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery in Columbus. Self-Portrait and A Portrait of Michael Shane Neal will be on display in the Verne Riffe Center for Government and the Arts from January 27 through April 17, 2011. Curated by Kay Koeninger, “the exhibition features fourteen Ohio artists who stretch the idea of what a portrait can be. Through their eyes, we see not only the world but ourselves and others in a transformative new light. They are not constrained by a past art form but are energized and profoundly inspired by it, using a variety of mediums—from photography to charcoal to stoneware to acrylic painting—to create unforgettable portraits.” More...
TWO PORTRAITS BY LESLIE ADAMS RECEIVE AWARDS IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
January 10, 2011 – Artist Leslie Adams’ Self-Portrait and Kate and Lilly, American Twins have received Honorable Mentions in the Portrait Society of America’s Annual 2010 Members Only Competition. The competition is open only to Portrait Society of America members in good standing. Each Fall, up to five categories are offered to which members can submit one artwork each. Adams’ works received awards in both the categories of “Commissioned Portraits” and “Outside of the Box” which challenges the artist to create an innovative composition that stretches the boundaries and presents a unique perspective using traditional techniques and aesthetics. More...
LESLIE ADAMS AWARDED COMMISSION TO PAINT OFFICIAL PORTRAIT OF OHIO’S 68th GOVERNOR, TED STRICKLAND
January 8, 2011 – Toledo Artist, Leslie Adams, has been awarded the commission to paint the official portrait of Ohio’s 68th Governor, Ted Strickland. This is Adams’ second gubernatorial portrait and third official portrait for the State of Ohio. Her portrait of Governor Bob Taft, unveiled in 2007, now adorns the William Howard Taft Hearing Room at the Ohio Statehouse. No official date has been given for the unveiling of Governor Strickland’s portrait. More...
PORTRAIT OF OHIO SENATE PRESIDENT UNVEILED IN CEREMONY AT OHIO STATEHOUSE
December 7, 2010 – A private reception for retiring Ohio Senate President, Bill Harris, is to be held on December 7th, 2010 in the Atrium at the Ohio Statehouse. During the event, the official portrait of President Harris, by Artist Leslie Adams, will be unveiled at a ceremony that will include remarks by Adams as well as former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery, JoAnne Davidson, former Co-chair of the Republican National Committee, Governor-elect John Kasich, and Ohio State University President, Gordon Gee. The painting, which portrays Senator Harris in the historic Senate Chambers, will be installed in the Senate Majority Conference Room in the Statehouse. This is Adams’ second official portrait commissioned by the State of Ohio. Her portrait of Governor Bob Taft, unveiled in 2007, now adorns the William Howard Taft Hearing Room at the Ohio Statehouse.
LESLIE ADAMS WORK FEATURED IN NASHVILLE ART’S MAGAZINE
December 1, 2010 – Ohio Artist, Leslie Adams, is featured in the December issue of Nashville Art’s Magazine. The magazine’s publisher contacted the artist after seeing her portrait of Michael Shane Neal, a prominent Nashville artist who recently completed portraits of such luminaries as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, Federal Chief Judge Anthony Scirica, former Senate Majority Leader, Robert Byrd and, most recently, the official portrait of Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. More...
LESLIE ADAMS TO PARTICIPATE IN PANEL DISCUSSION AT THE BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ART
October 1, 2010 – Four Inspiring Figures Artists, including Leslie Adams, are to participate in a panel discussion on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at 10:00 am, in the Zona Auditorium at the Butler Institute of American Art. Adams will join fellow artists Ellen Cooper, Catherine Prescott and Lea Collie Wight who were invited to speak by the Portrait Society of America and the Cecelia Beaux Forum Chair, Judith Carducci. During the discussion and Q&A session the women, all painters, will discuss their inspiration and process involved in the creation of their works. More...
PORTRAIT BY ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS RECIVES A TOP PRIZE IN INSPIRING FIGURES COMPETITION
September 12, 2010 – Artist, Leslie Adams' work Connessione: A Portrait of Michael Shane Neal received Third Place honors in Inspiring Figures: An Exhibit Celebrating American Women in Figurative Art. The exhibition will be on display through October 31, 2010 at the Butler Institute of American Art, which holds the distinction of being the first museum in the world to focus exclusively on American art. The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a $30,000 Access to Artistic Excellence grant in support of the educational activities and catalog for the exhibition. Inspiring Figures explores the distinctive influence of female artists and their continued importance in the development of American figurative art and portraiture. Selected works from a juried competition juxtapose a collection of figures by historic and invited artists, bringing together a spectrum of artwork which highlights the groundbreaking impact of American women artists. The Portrait Society’s Cecilia Beaux Forum, a committee in support of women artists, spent several years developing an exhibit celebrating American women artists whose innovative portraits and figurative artwork have inspired generations of artists. More...
LESLIE ADAMS’ SELF-PORTRAIT INCLUDED IN ARTPRIZE
September 8, 2010 – Self-Portrait by Artist, Leslie Adams, is one of 1700 works included in the second annual, international ArtPrize 2010 exhibition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From the competition’s website, “ArtPrize is a radically open competition. Open to any artist in the world who can find space. Open to anybody in Grand Rapids, Michigan who wants to create a venue. Open to a vote from anyone who attends.” Adams’ black & white charcoal drawing will be displayed during the three week exhibition at the Department of Corrections on Monroe Street Center. The work can be viewed twenty-four hours a day during the run of the exhibition September 16 through October 10, 2010. More...
PORTRAIT BY ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS SELECTED FOR INSPIRING FIGURES EXHIBITION AT THE BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERCIAN
June 30, 2010 – A large-scale drawing by Leslie Adams, Connessione: A Portrait of Michael Shane Neal, has been selected as a Finalist for inclusion in Inspiring Figures: An Exhibition Celebrating American Women in Figurative Art at the Butler Institute of American Art. The Butler Institute, in collaboration with the Portrait Society of America, will host this landmark exhibition September 12 through October 31, 2010. “The exhibition explores the distinctive influence of female artists and their continued importance in the development of American figurative art and portraiture. Selected works from a juried competition juxtapose a collection of figures by historic and invited artists, bringing together a spectrum of artwork which highlights the groundbreaking impact of American women artists.” Chosen from over 750 entries, the juried works will hang alongside works by historical artist such as Cecelia Beaux and Mary Cassatt as well as figurative works by invited, notable and contemporary women such as Rose Frantzen, Mary Whyte, and Wende Caporale. As a Finalist, Adams work will be displayed in the exhibition and her work will appear in the Inspiring Figures catalog and Portrait Society publications, including the Art of the Portrait Journal and the Art of the Portrait section in International Artist Magazine. Artworks by the twenty finalists will be judged at the Butler for top prizes. An awards ceremony and opening reception will kick off the exhibition and a series of educational programs designed to highlight the contributions and legacy of women artists in the American figurative tradition. For questions contact Lauren at the Portrait Society of America, toll-free at 1-877-772-4321. More...
PORTRAIT BY ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS SELECTED FOR THE 74th ANNUAL MIDYEAR EXHIBTION AT THE BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERCIAN
April 30, 2010 - Portrait of Anderton L. “Pete” Bentley, a large-scale drawing by Artist Leslie Adams, has been accepted into the 74th Annual Midyear Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art. This annual juried exhibition is open to artists over 18 years of age who reside within the United States and/or its territories. The show, which features works in all two-dimensional media, was judged this year by Ronnie Landfield of New York City. The opening reception and awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 27th from 1 to 3 pm. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are required. Contact the Butler by June 23, 2010 for reservations (330.743.1107 ext. 210.) The exhibition runs through August 22, 2010. More...
LESLIE ADAMS RECIEVES A BEST PORTFOLIO AWARD AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
April 24, 2010 - Leslie Adams’ work was recognized for the second consecutive year at the Portrait Society of America’s annual, Art of the Portrait conference in Washington, D.C. Adams received an award for Best Portfolio in a competition of forum attendees. The conference is considered “the educational and social epicenter for the international community of figurative and portrait artists.” At the same ceremony, Adams was honored to present the Award for Excellence in Art Education to the New York Academy of Art. Peter Drake, Dean of Academic Affairs at the Academy, was in attendance to accept this prestigious award. In her remarks, Adams credited both institutions – the Academy and the Portrait Society of America - for her successful career in art. A recipient of the prestigious Warhol Scholarship in 1990, the Artist was privileged to study at the Academy’s Graduate school of Figurative Art, where she was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1992. More...
LESLIE ADAMS’ WORK FEATURED IN 15th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF NEW AMERICAN PAINTINGS
January 15, 2010 – Two works by Leslie Adams are featured in a special edition of New American Paintings celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the juried exhibitions in print. Open Studios Press, the publisher of New American Paintings, has selected artists that have been featured in previous issues of the journal. Adams work was previously selected by Beth Venn, former Curator of Contemporary Art at the Whitney Museum of American Art, for the eleventh edition (Midwest) of New American Paintings in 1997. More...
ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS OPENS EXHIBITION AT FLATLANDERS ART GALLERIES
January 17, 2010 – Flatlander’s Art Galleries proudly presents: Leslie Adams: Recent Drawings. The exhibition is open to the public from January 17 through June 30, 2010 with an artist’s reception planned for Sunday, February 14th, 2010 from 1 to 4 pm. The exhibition includes studies for several of the Artist’s major works including former Governor Robert A. (Bob) Taft and Mr. David T. Brown, the former CEO of the Owens Corning Corporation. More...
PORTRAIT BY ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS RECEIVES AWARD FROM THE PORTRAIT SOCIETY OF AMERICA
January 8, 2010 - Leslie Adams’ large-scale drawing entitled The Hoffman Brothers has received an Honorable Mention in the Portrait Society of America’s Member’s Only Competition in the category of drawing. Adams work will be recognized at the society’s annual Art of the Portrait Conference in Washington, D.C. in April, 2010.  The conference is considered “the educational and social epicenter for the international community of figurative and portrait artists.”
ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS OPENS MAJOR EXHIBITION AT THE KRASL ART CENTER
November 6, 2009 - Leslie Adams unveils her new works at a major exhibition at the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, Michigan. Focus on the Figure, curated by Tami Miller, Director of Exhibitions and Collections, is a three-person exhibit that also includes sculpture by renowned contemporary artists, Mark Chatterley and Randall Clark. More...
DRAWING BY ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS UP FOR AUCTION AT SOTHEBY’S IN NEW YORK
October 7, 2009 - Reclining Nude with Silk, a drawing by Leslie Adams, has been successfully auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York City during the highly anticipated annual fund raiser, Take Home a Nude. Proceeds from the donation of the sale directly benefit the scholarship fund at the New York Academy of Art. Adams, a recipient of the prestigious Warhol Scholarship in 1990, was privileged to be provided with a full tuition scholarship which enabled her to study at the Academy’s Graduate school of Figurative Art, where she was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1992. The work was sold to a private collector.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNVEILS THREE PORTRAITS BY ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS
September 25, 2009 - Three portraits by Leslie Adams were unveiled during a meeting of ophthalmologists at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center. The posthumous portraits of three of the institution’s former chairs were created from late nineteenth and early twentieth century photographs provided by the Bentley Library Archives at the University. They will be installed next to works by renowned artists John Koch and Everett Raymond Kinstler.
DRAWING BY LESLIE ADAMS A SEMI-FINALIST IN THE OUTWIN BOOCHEVER PORTRAIT COMPETITION AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTUION’S NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.
July 5, 2009 – Connessione: A Portrait of Michael Shane Neal by Leslie Adams has been selected as a semi-finalist in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Chosen from over 3,300 entries; the Smithsonian will bring 100 works to the nation’s capital to jury for inclusion into the prestigious exhibition. The jury will select 50 works for the exhibition to run from October through August, 2010.
LESLIE ADAMS RECIEVES A BEST PORTFOLIO AWARD AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
April 21, 2009 - Leslie Adams’ work was recognized at the Portrait Society of America’s annual, Art of the Portrait conference in Washington, D.C. Adams received an award for Best Portfolio in a competition of conference attendees. The conference is considered “the educational and social epicenter for the international community of figurative and portrait artists.”
OWENS PAST AND PRESENT PRESIDENTS HONORED DURING PORTRAIT UNVEILING CEREMONY
April 8, 2009 - Leslie Adams’ portraits were unveiled at a ceremony on the campus of Owens Community College during community college week in Ohio. The four portraits, commissioned by the board of director’s and current president, Dr. Christa Adams, were intended to establish the tradition of portraiture at the college. More...
DRAWING BY ARTIST LESLIE ADAMS AUCTIONED AT PHILLIPS de PURY & COMPANY IN NEW YORK
October 12, 2007 - Young Woman with a Scarf, a drawing by Leslie Adams, has been successfully auctioned at Phillips de Pury & Company in New York City during the highly anticipated annual fund raiser, Take Home a Nude. Proceeds from the donation of the sale directly benefit the scholarship fund at the New York Academy of Art. As a past recipient of a full Warhol scholarship, Adams graciously returns the favor by continually donating works so that other students can benefit from the exceptional training that the Academy offers and thus, continues the figurative tradition. The work was sold to a private collector.
OFFICIAL PORTRAIT OF FORMER GOVERNOR TAFT UNVEILED AT STATEHOUSE
March 27, 2007 - Former Governor Bob Taft’s official gubernatorial portrait was unveiled at a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse, the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) and the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) announced. The portrait of Ohio’s 67th governor was created by renowned Toledo artist Leslie Adams. More...