The Thomas D. Little Prize for Excellence in Printmaking Preview Show, Benefit Auction and Gala from Anderson Turner

On Saturday, April 26, 7-10pm we celebrate the life and work of artist Thomas D. Little (1955-2006) with a gala evening in our Downtown Gallery!

 

Featured will be a live auction of works contributed by Tom’s many friends and colleagues across the U.S., including a Chuck Close serigraph, “Philip,” donated by Robert Blanton of Brand X Editions.  The live auction, conducted by celebrity host Al Moss of Hillbilly Idol, will be preceded by an on-line auction that begins April 12.  Works on offer can be viewed and bid on through April 24; any works not bid up during the live auction will go to the highest on-line bidder.  To find out more about the auction please visit http://kentlittleprize.cmarket.com

Many of these works are prints, in the spirit of Tom’s interests and expertise.

 

All proceeds of the auction and the gala go to the Thomas D. Little Prize for Excellence in Printmaking, established at Kent State to recognize Tom’s dedication to the School of Art and his generosity to Kent State’s students and programs. Tom 

Tom Little, a native of Marion, Ohio, was the son of the late Marjorie and Homer T. Little, Jr.; he is survived by sisters Diane Miley, of Troy and Marianne Brammell, of Marion, as well as his twin sons Travis and Sam.  Tom studied painting and printmaking in Kent State’s School of Art in the mid-1970’s and went on to become master printer for Brand X Editions, an important New York print shop to which many prominent artists turned when seeking top talent to make multiples of their work.  He had a keen eye for color relationships and a sure grasp of the processes needed to produce vivid, visually arresting prints.  These talents were recognized by some of the most significant artists of our time, such as Chuck Close, Jenny Holzer, Dorothea Rockburne, Helen Frankenthaler, LeRoy Neiman, Glen Ligon, Nicholas Howey, Robert Indiana, Wolf Kahn, Robert Longo, Vija Celmins, and Terry Winters, many of whom had Brand X and Tom Little create prints for them.

For many years, Tom welcomed Kent State students on travel-study trips to New York City and was a vibrant and inspiring teacher.  He returned to Kent State to give demonstrations and instruction and to serve as mentor to emerging printmakers from the KSU studios.  His premature death in July, 2006, was felt as a deep loss by his many friends and colleagues, who have come together to establish the Thomas D. Little Prize in his memory to honor and continue his dedication to printmaking students in the School of Art at Kent State University.

 

Tickets for the benefit sell for $25 and can be purchased at the on-line auction site or at the School’s Downtown Gallery (by calling 330-676-1549 with a credit card, or by dropping in when in downtown Kent, or through the auction website.  Jazz will be provided by the Bob Niederriter Quartet and the cash bar presided over by celebrity bartender Liz Maugans, Director of Zygote Press, the region’s most distinguished cooperative for printmakers and printers.

 

The Downtown Gallery is open to the public Wednesdays through Fridays, noon until 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Works on offer may be viewed at the online auction site as well as at the Downtown Gallery from April 16 through 25, during regular gallery hours.

The Kent State University School of Art Downtown Gallery is centrally located at 141 East Main Street in downtown Kent, with convenient parking both in front of the Gallery on Main Street as in the large lot behind the building.  For additional information,  contact the Downtown Gallery  directly at 330-676-1549 during regular business hours (above) or by visiting our website at http://dept.kent.edu/art/galleries