TOM  OF  FINLAND  FOUNDATION
Wishes You A Happy New Year 2011

TOM OF FINLAND
(Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (Sketch, altered), 1980, Graphite on paper,
ToFF #1043, © 2010 Tom of Finland Foundation

From all of us at the Tom of Finland Foundation House:
Our best wishes for a very Happy New Year!

We've had a lot to be thankful for...

Philip Hitchcock, artist, and owner of PHD Gallery in St. Louis, has been a member and supporter for 15 years. As Mr. Midwest Leather 2010, his two major fundraising efforts are the Foundation and Growing American Youth, an LGBTQ youth organization serving the St. Louis area for 30 years.

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Our Fundraising Coordinator Bo Tobin did a great job at the Barracks Bar for our Fundraiser during Palm Springs Leather Week 2010, but doesn't take all of the credit. "First of all, our Volunteers were in top form. Esteban Jimenez, Leo Iriarte – Mr. Regiment of Black and Tans, and Manny Ramirez - Mr LA Leather Bear 2010 manned the door while Jake and Devin busted their butts to please all the people all the time."

"Secondly the folks at PSLOD, The Barracks, Gear and the Tool Shed did an amazing job coordinating this year’s Palm Springs Leather Pride. By working together, they were able to bring in people from all around the world. We send out our thanks to everyone who participated and donated. We couldn’t have done it without you!"

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ToFF received a donation representing the proceeds from "Edge-ing with Michael Brandon” a benefit held at The Edge Bar. The monies were raised from the Jell-O shot promo by Gary Virginia, Mr. San Francisco Leather 1996 Event Coordinator.

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Thanks to Los Angeles Band Of Brothers and the Bullet Bar in North Hollywood for the benefit, WhiteBoys vs. Latins. Participants included: KryptoCub Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2010, Brad Taylor, Hurricane Ramirez Mr. LA Leather Bear 2010, Manuel Ramirez The Midnight Marauder, Brown Bear Tom Zapata, Jay The Boyfriend, Michael The Owned, Pretty White Boy Luke Jayden and Dirty Mexican Jake Dark. Photos of the event were captured by JayPG.

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Vancouver Men in Leather’s Pride event – a Tom of Finland themed fundraiser was a rousing success. The space was crowded from opening time and most if not all attendees dressed for the them of the night. Raffle prizes of T-shirts and a Tom of Finland Comix Collection were drawn as well as a 50/50 ticket. Also available for sale were t-shirts and fridge magnets, provided by ToFF for the event.

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The Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, under the supervision of Sister IlumiNaughty, presented a Queer Art Gallery held in LA's downtown art district with queer art, fashion, performance and music from over 25 queer artists and performers. Proceeds benefited APLA’s Crystal Methamphetamine Prevention and Education Program, Highways Queer Performance Space and Tom of Finland Foundation. The Foundation contributed to the event with works by Tom of Finland, Michael Kirwan, George Quaintance, Ingmar, Wes Lockwood, Muscle Boy Matt and Jakal.

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LiquidDREAMS created a Labor Day Pool Party at a luxurious private estate to benefit the Foundation with music by Dj Scotty Storm & Dj Wednesday, complementary food & drinks and hosted by beautiful mermen, mermaids & sailors It featured a poolside fashion show featuring The Golden Pool Boys of Summer and included a rock slide & cave jacuzzi. We're grateful to the staff and volunteers that pitched in for this event: Carr, Jake, HISseth, TJ, Lance, JAYpg, Todd, Durk, Sharp, Thomas and Toni. The Co-Hosts Committee consisted of Anthony Cortez, Miguel Angel Reyes, Alejandra Duque, Sharp, Kevin Green, Lorenzo Gomez, Rick Rodriguez, Brian McDonald, Ben Roman, Gil Rodriguez, Michael McCool and Viktor Paleyo.

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The Black and Grey Birthday Bash presented at Pistons Bar in Long Beach was a success with the participation of The Los Angeles Band Of Brothers and The Los Angeles Leather Coalition, as well as some very hot leathermen. Louie Pacheco. and Mr Pistons Leather 2010 Marcus Hopkins worked hard with Pistons new owners Robert and Koby to create an event men were talking about weeks later.

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On the east coast, The Desk Set presented Que(e)ry, with the delightful theme: "You don't have to be a queer librarian; You just have to dance with one!" Held at the Blackout Bar — a vaguely gothic, minimalist-chic black-and-white Greenpoint watering hole — funds were raised for Foundation and the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

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One of our favorite events of the year is the invitational Holiday Pot Luck Dinner where our volunteers and supporters get a chance to unwind and socialize, except for our favorite DJ — DJ RocketManLA. who kept spinning the tunes all night long. A special thanks to Mike Goldie and Charlie Z who really pitched in to keep things moving smoothly. Special thnx to Steven Richards for his hot Kris Kringle. Every single host knows they hosted a wonderful night – and a jumbo thanks to them: Bo and Louis Jay, JayPG for pix, Toni for BEING stunning, Thomas for being an EXPERT, John and his libations, the polar elves Jake & Carr, the endearing Kirwan and the delightful Devin.

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Josh and Steven modeled for our January workshop

When something works like clockwork, month after month and year after year, it is easy to take it for granted. So this is a good time to thank our Drawing Workshop coordinator, Miguel Angel Reyes, for guiding this project and keeping it on track. DJ RocketManLA is there as well each month with his fantastic selection of music spanning the very latest to the classics. A thanks to the attending artists that keep the workshops vital and alive. We also want to thank the dozens of models that have participated over the years. Without them there wouldn't be much of a drawing workshop!

Check our Public Calendar for future workshop dates!

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Per Helge Nylund Photo: Tomasz Wacko

2010 saw three new ToFF Lifetime Members: Raymond C. Ginn, James W. Jernigan, and Per Helge Nylund. Tom of Finland Foundation truly honors all those who have committed. Together, we can — through protection, preservation and promotion — educate both our own community and the public on the merits of erotic art, its integration into culture, and how it produces healthier and more tolerant attitudes toward all aspects of sexuality.

We thank all our Members. They are the best ambassadors the Foundation can have. We count on each and everyone of you to help us spread the word about ToFF’s mission.

Maintaining The Legacy Comes With a Price

Tom of Finland has given us a legacy. Maintaining this legacy comes with a price: Careful storage, maintenance and accessibility, transportation and insurance for outside exhibitions of all the artists that ToFF represents – add up to significant expenses. Our library and archive unfortunately do not thrive on neglect – they need constant feeding to remain a dynamic part of today’s society.

The Foundation has traveled far – and we know where we want to go. We are asking you to help us guarantee that this treasure trove will be here for you to enjoy and that this cultural landmark will be around for others to savor. It is imperative we safeguard the institutions that create an environment where we all flourish in a life full of creativity and beauty. JOIN US by becoming a member, renewing your membership and/or making a contribution today.

TOM  OF  FINLAND  FOUNDATION

Tips of the Hat and Odds & Ends:

The Foundation would like to thank Brad Rader for the donation of his graphic novel Harry and Dickless Tom — groundbreaking gay fiction. This is unlike anything on the market. Not like great gay story comix like Stuck Rubber Baby, because there’s lots of sex in it. Not like gay sex comix because it’s got characters, plot, setting etcetera. Not like Gay Comics because it’s a graphic novel, longer than a single story. And it goes to the heart of the matter, bringing in gender, homophobia, what it means to be male, parental ties, marriage ties, and, as we said, a large amount of fucking. So is this for you? Are you a consumer of pornography? Or of stories? One publisher told us that that was the problem—it doesn’t fit into the pornography niche or the story niche. 2006 Gallery Opening for this novel. Artist's Page with reviews, sample pages, and purchase info.

The Foundation would like to thank Ron Anderegg for his donation of Satyrs. The book was thoughtfully put together, with handsome results, and is a wonderful addition to our library. Since my preteens, I’ve been awestruck by the exquisite beauty of classical Greek and Roman sculpture. That sheer perfection of the human body, sculpted in marble by those amazing artists living thousands of years ago, has never been surpassed. Similarly, I’ve been fascinated by Satyrs, which ere created as fun, imaginary half men, half horny beasts — playful fantasy symbols of man’s favorite hedonistic pleasures…libation, song and sex. Learn more about Satyrs here. Ron also will be instructing a 4-week Life Drawing course in Los Angeles entitled Capturing the Beauty of the Human Body. Tuesdays, January 25 - February 15, 7 - 9:30 PM at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038. MAP 323.860.7302. Enrollment closes at 5 PM on 1/24. Registration and fee information can be found here.

Foundation International Liaison Allison at LA&M Allison R. Wickman spent approximately 5 weeks at the Leather Archives & Museum [LA&M] creating a user guide for AIDS related resources at the institution. She was there from the Art Libraries Society of North America [ARLIS] Internship program. She also interned with the curator of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. She currently resides in Helsinki, Finland where she is acting as the International Liaison for the Tom of Finland Foundation. As an international liaison, Allison and her husband Kenneth "Wiki" were helpful with the production of the current Tom of Finland Retrospective in Turku. Leather Archives & Museum Website, Allison's Project

Allure, Robert W. Richards' New Book

Robert Richards is an internationally acclaimed artist whose subjects have ranged from the highest of high society to the lowest of low life. In the early 1980s, he began, drawing and interviewing every major male porn star who had ever unzipped for the camera, an odyssey which eventually spanned four decades.

Mr. Richards has created portraits of everyone from Liza, Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, and Warhol — to Casey Donovan, Peter Berlin, Jack Wrangler, Ryan Idol and Jeff Stryker. A collection of his drawings can be seen in the book Allure, published by Bruno Gmuender Books.

Learn more about Robert Richards — and his recent Los Angeles exhibition at Rick Castro's Antebellum Gallery — here. Additional images of Robert Richards' work appear on Rick's Antebellum blog.

Tom of Finland Foundation hosted a dinner party for Robert at the TOM House on Sunday, December 5, 2010. It was our way of showing our hospitality to a man who continues to do so much in perpetuating the culture of the erotic arts community and queer culture at large. That's Robert Richards with the dark glasses in the center, and Rick Castro of Antebellum on the far left.

Purchase Allure through this Amazon link and help out the Foundation.

Artillery Magazine - To Catch A Thief

Article by Tucker Neel

To Catch A Thief: Why it’s not a good idea to steal from muscled men in leather and chains.

That's the title of Tucker Neel's article in Artillery Magazine (Nov/Dec 2010 Vol. 5 Issue 2) detailing the theft of eight works of art from the Foundation's Permanent Collection. Mr. Neel sums the situation up with a succinct style.

Read To Catch A Thief... on Tucker Neel's Blog, and see one of the (rarely published) works that was recovered. (Tucker first visited the TOM house in November 2009, and really enjoyed his tour.)

Artillery is an alternative contemporary art publication that reflects the vitality of the creative world today. They tap the provocative, with readable articles, intelligent reviews, in-depth profiles and pithy columns. Published in Los Angeles, they cover the international scene with contributors in New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Berlin, London and at the biennials.

Artillery Magazine - Killer Text on Art Website

From our viewpoint, the most important thing was that the works were recovered.

The cost, however, was great. There were several thousands of dollars spent on lawyer fees, travel expenses, overseas phone calls, and other financial outlays at a time that the economy (and membership contributions) tanked. Just as important were the countless hours President Durk Dehner and the Foundation staff dedicated to this unplanned "project" — and the emotional toll it took on all of us. Today, almost one year after this PRESS RELEASE, the situation is still not completely resolved.

MANY THANKS to our friends supporting us during these difficult times in carrying out our miss ion..

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