The Next Phase for Danny Allen’s Artwork

Danny Allen – India ink on bond. Not signed or dated, ca. 1972.

I know it’s not going to be an easy thing to, but it’s the right thing to do. I’m going to hand over ownership of all of the artwork that I have in my custody, done by Danny Allen to the Allen family sometime after the 4th of July, 2013. My role for the past four decades has been to serve as the “keeper” of Dan’s collection. I’ve seen to it the art has been safely stored, but the time has come for it all to return home.

Dan’s sister, Chris is going to come to visit me here in Philadelphia for the transfer. The way my will has been written, the art was always intended to go back to the Allen family–but I see no purpose in delaying that exchange of ownership and responsibility. I’ve loved and enjoyed having Dan’s work and lived with pieces on my walls for decades. Now it’s time to move-on.

Someday I’d like to have a small exhibit of Dan’s art–and Rochester, New York is the natural choice for that exhibit to take place. I’ve been putting out some “feelers” as to where the exhibit could be shown, but no location has yet been determined.

Danny Allen, Graphite and color pencil. Collection of Robert Henning (former curator of the Memorial Art Gallery) and his partner, Brian Stenfors. This piece has been given to the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester. (New York State).

Following the shock of learning the tragic fate of Dan’s art from other collections where there was no legal will in place, I felt compelled to make this transfer. The location and virtual existence of some of Dan’s finest pieces remains ominously uncertain after collectors passed away without specifying how their collections were to be handled. The pieces I’ve watched over will be distributed among members of the Allen family. I urge anyone who has original art (not just by Danny Allen) but any pieces of note–to provide for the future owndership of that art. Several collectors have expressed an intention to leave their examples of Dan’s work to the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, and others intend to leave art to the Allen family. Both choices are good choices.

My next reading/book signing will be in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Saturday, June 29th at 4:30pm at PROUD Bookstore – 149 Rehoboth Ave  Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 – 302.227.6969. I’m hoping to include a PowerPoint presentation if the space will allow.

Books are available online through PixelPreserve:
http://www.pixelpreserve.net/bookstore/

A Drawing by Danny Allen Not in the Book

In all my efforts to organize myself, I should know by now that something was bound to slip through the cracks. A while back Dan’s and my friend, Steve Carpenter sent me the scan of this drawing done by Danny Allen on January 31st, 1973. Somehow I neglected to get the piece to Katherine Denison, who designed the book. My apologies to Steve. I found the drawing while going through a stack of DVD’s looking for something else entirely. The piece should have been included, and perhaps will be in a future edition. Several other pieces of artwork have surfaced since the book was published, and I’ve included them here on the blog.

My next reading/book signing will be in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Saturday, June 29th at 4:30pm at PROUD Bookstore – 149 Rehoboth Ave  Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 – 302.227.6969. I’m hoping to include a PowerPoint presentation if the space will allow.

Books are available online through PixelPreserve: http://www.pixelpreserve.net/bookstore/

A Successful Book Signing & the Reviews are Good: Three for Three!

Photo ca. 1070 by noted fine arts photographer, Eva Weiss. Pictured are Leah Warnick with Danny Allen in the foreground. If you look carefully you can see Eva Weiss working the camera while reflected in the mirror.

I’m still floating on a cloud following my reading this past Saturday at Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia. I’m hoping to schedule a reading for mid-summer at Proud Bookstore in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. My original reading date had to be postponed for reasons I won’t go into now–and I’m waiting for confirmation on a replacement date.

The reading at Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia was standing room only. I sold a slew of books and signed them all until my signature looked like I’d had a stroke. Truth to tell that’s what my signature always looks like.

The latest review on my book ‘An Early Work Late in Life’ comes from critic and journalist, Susan Jordan of The Rochester Gay Alliance’s publication: The Empty Closet. So far in terms of reviews, they’re all good: Three for three. Thank you, Susan!

http://www.gayalliance.org/emptycloset/2013/05/new-book-remembers-rochester-artist-danny-allen/

Signing books at Giovanni’s Room. You’ll have to take it on faith that there was a long lie to my left. The photographer managed to only get ME in the picture.