DEF LEPPARD's RICK ALLEN Announces December 2022 Art Gallery Showings

Rick Allen, legendary drummer of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees DEF LEPPARD, will make a number of special appearances this December at the Wentworth Galleries in Florida, starting with a stop in Hollywood on Friday, December 9, followed by Boca Raton on December 10, with a final stop in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, December 11. See below for exact locations and times. These exciting events are open to the public.

This new and extraordinary collection houses originals, limited editions, the painted drum series, mixed media originals, plus, for the first time, works on metal, which is a new medium for the artist. Also on view will be fan favorites the "Legends" series, featuring portraits of Charlie Watts, Eddie Van Halen, Kurt Cobain and Johnny Cash, and his renowned "Wings Of Hope" series. A portion of each sale will benefit Rick's Project Resiliency where for over a dozen years Allen and his wife Lauren Monroe have worked passionately with veterans from Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. Allen and Wentworth Galleries will donate a portion of each and every acquisition to benefit the foundation.

Says Allen: "Painting has been a passion of mine for quite a while and I was inspired to branch out and try some new techniques. One that I particularly enjoyed was working with metal as a medium. I’m really proud of how these new works turned out and I can't wait to share them at the upcoming Wentworth Gallery shows in Florida."

Christian O'Mahony, principal at Wentworth Gallery, said: "I am honored to host Rick and his art at my galleries. His work continues to evolve and not only represents his own story of perseverance, resiliency and the human spirit but is also a beacon of hope for others."

In-gallery appearances by Rick Allen (artist will be in attendance at all showings):

Friday, December 9 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Wentworth Gallery at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Address: 5804 Seminole Way #103

Saturday, December 10 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Wentworth Gallery at Boca Raton Town Center Mall
Address: 6000 Glades Road #1089

Sunday, December 11 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Wentworth Gallery at Las Olas
Address: 819 East Las Olas Blvd.

All artwork is currently on exhibition is available for acquisition

Earlier this year, Allen spoke about his "Legends" art series, which consists of lifelike-yet-impressionistic portraits of musicians who have influenced him, in an interview with the "Murray Adventures" podcast and "The MGM Morning Show With Matt Murray" on 103.7 WMGM Rocks in Atlantic City. Regarding how he decides which artists to paint, Rick said: "These are all musicians, singers, songwriters that have inspired me over the years. The last one that I did, I mean, to me, it was pretty obvious — Charlie Watts. If it wasn't for Charlie Watts, I wouldn't be on the phone with you now. I think it's the end of an era. He inspired so many to pick up a pair of sticks. And it was just my way of paying homage to him. And then another person that I really, really looked up to and I had the honor of meeting, it's Eddie Van Halen. So all of these people somehow touched my life and somehow inspired me to do what I do today."

When Murray pointed out that Watts always had a "smooth, calm and collected" approach to playing drums, Allen said: "That's true and that was the mood that I tried to bring into the painting that I did. He's just got this sort of content look about him, like he's got nothing to prove. But he was a smoking drummer. I think in many ways he was very underrated. But without Charlie Watts, THE ROLLING STONES wouldn't have sounded the way that they did. Just in the same way that if you took Keith Moon away from THE WHO, it wouldn't necessarily have been the same."

Allen became the drummer for DEF LEPPARD at age 15. As one of the world's best-selling music artists, DEF LEPPARD have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, two albums with RIAA diamond certification (10 million albums sold) and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019.

At the height of worldwide fame in 1984, he had a car accident that changed his life. Rick 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 13 years, Rick 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, 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 his charity foundation 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.

That debut collection, in 2012 featured 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 helped to forge a relationship with America's leading fine art retailer Wentworth Galleries.

Rick said: "Music, art and photography have been passions of mine since I was a boy. 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. 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 intends to express messages of hope, transcendence and the human condition."