Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, Maine
June 6th – October 10, 2025

Ralph Steadman at Bates Museum of Art

Ralph Steadman was born in Wallasey, England in 1936 and is one of his generation’s most prolific and provocative artists. He is best known for his long collaboration with Hunter S. Thompson, notably illustrating 1971’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Their partnership helped define Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting that blends personal experience with political commentary. He is an active artist today and continues to influence artists from around the globe.

Because Steadman’s works have so often been utilized in mass media like publishing, they have reached admirers with an appeal that crosses socio-economic demographics and national boundaries.Steadman’s work–with its mix of controlled and precise lines, anatomical and mechanical collage pieces, and bold and frenzied free-drawing and blots–is instantly recognizable to an extraordinary range of people. “Ralph Steadman enjoys an enthusiastic fan base,” says education curator Anthony Shostak. “We expect visitors from all across New England and beyond to flock to Bates to take advantage of the opportunity to see original works instead of reproductions.”

The exhibition fills the museum’s upper and lower galleries, offering a thorough exploration of Ralph Steadman’s remarkable career and diverse subject matter. Interactive resources in the exhibition will encourage visitors to look deeply and make connections between works. Accompanying the exhibition is a full-color, 207-page publication of the same name, available for purchase, as well as unique merchandise specifically for Bates College. 

The realization of a Steadman exhibition at Bates marks almost a decade of planning between Bates’s former director Dan Mills, Ralph Steadman, and his team; another of Steadman’s exhibitions was set to arrive at the museum during the 2020 COVID Pandemic. Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing is organized by the Ralph Steadman Art Collection, and curated by Sadie Williams and Andrea Lee Harris. This exhibition has previously toured at American University in Washington DC and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Following the presentation at the Bates College Museum of Art, the exhibition will open at Torrance Art Museum March 28-May 9, 2026 In 2027 The Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia will be presenting the exhibition in their incredible new museum gallery.

We are grateful for this opportunity to share Ralph Steadman’s art here in Lewiston and thankful to our partners for helping make this a reality, many thanks to Dan Mills, Corie Audette, Samantha Sigmon, Anthony Shostak, Hilary Gibson, Michel Droge, and additional contributing faculty, staff, and students. To our art framers, Dolphin Frames LLC, we appreciate your professionalism and the care you showed to the touring collection.

Portland Press Herald

Art Daily

Oklahoma State University Museum of Art – Stillwater OK.
January 28 – May 10, 2025

OSU Museum of Art presents Ralph Steadman

This traveling exhibition spans over 60 years of Ralph Steadman’s influential career, featuring more than 140 original artworks and ephemera, including sketchbooks, handwritten notes, and personal photographs. Steadman is best known for his long collaboration with Hunter S. Thompson, notably illustrating “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Their partnership helped define Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting that blends personal experience with political commentary. Coined by journalist Bill Cardoso, Gonzo’s impact is still felt today in online news, editorial pieces, social media, and political punditry.

The exhibition showcases his diverse body of work, from iconic illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” to collections like “The Gonzovation Trilogy,” created in collaboration with documentarian and filmmaker Ceri Levy to raise awareness about endangered species. Featured works include nine portraits of U.S. Presidents, over 20 images of famous people, including T.S. Eliot, Karl Marx, Virginia Woolf, and George Orwell, and “Vintage Dr. Gonzo,” a life-size bronze sculpture.

This exhibition is organized by the Ralph Steadman Art Collection. “Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing” is curated by Sadie Williams and Andrea Lee Harris. Accompanying the exhibition is a full-color, 207-page publication of the same name, available for purchase at Typo Market in Stillwater, OK. 

Steadman Student Showcase

April 1 – 19, 2025

Through a series of programs and courses, university students and community members engaging with the art of Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing, creating original artworks in response to the exhibition which is on view at the OSU Museum of Art through May 10. 

The Steadman Student Showcase features a selection of these new pieces from April 1–19, including a filmed dance performance by OSU students, expressive mixed media artworks by Lincoln Academy high schoolers, identity-themed masks created by teens from the Stillwater Public Library, and a bound collection of work from Prairie Arts Center campers experimenting with Steadman’s spontaneous mark-making techniques. A special community zine featuring works from various participants will also be available for visitors to take home.

In conjunction with the Stillwater Arts Festival (April 18–19) and OSU Arts Week (April 18–26), a special reception will take place from 5-7 PM on April 18, celebrating Steadman’s impact on our community! Enjoy live music, meet the community artists, and experience Stillwater talent like never before!

This was the most amazing museum and presentation. We received tons of love from the community, students, faculty, staff, and arts supporters. Thank you to the wonderful and brilliant staff at OSU Museum of Art for your care and passion for Ralph Steadman’s art and exhibition. The educational outreach you created and presented in support of this exhibition was over the top and epic. OSU is the best!

American University Art Museum in Washington D.C.
September 7th – December, 2024

Ralph Steadman at American University Museum

“Ralph Steadman’s art is visceral and alive; it rips from the heart and penetrates the psyche. It is not calming. It wakes you up, smacks you around a bit, and thrusts you into the world with open eyes. Ralph is not here to comfort us. He is a truth-teller with a pen mightier than the sword, a wickedly funny jester with no fear of the king.” – Tim Robbins

Ralph Steadman’s extensive body of work not only explores the nature of the human condition but also inspires generations of artists. Whether wielding ink, acrylic, or pastels on any surface, Steadman sculpts one-of-a-kind visions while approaching each subject with unparalleled energy, vigor, and wit.

Vanity Fair—”Fear and Loathing in DC: Gonzo Illustrator Ralph Steadman’s Life and Work”

Rolling Stone Magazine

It features over 100 original artworks, including his work with Ceri Levy on the Gonzovation Trilogy, depicting extinct and endangered birds and animals, and his groundbreaking Psychogeography series with British journalist Will Self for the Independent newspaper.

This show promises an epic journey through Ralph Steadman’s remarkable career. It will astonish die-hard fans and captivate those discovering his work for the first time. The American University Museum is proud to be the first to host this extraordinary touring exhibition in the U.S.

Thank you to all the brilliant staff and supporters at AU Museum. This was an powerful and inspired presentation because of you all. Thank you to United Therapeutics our sponsor for helping us to make this exhibition a reality.

Touring U.S. exhibition and publication will launch September 7th, 2024 at
American University Museum at Katzen Art Center in Washington, D.C.

The tour will continue to Oklahoma State University Museum of Art in Stillwater, Oklahoma
(Spring 2025). Bates College Museum of Art in Lewiston, Maine (Fall 2025), Torrance Art Museum in Spring 2026, and The Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia (Spring 2027). We are still looking for a (Spring 2026) venue and West coast venues are in process and we hope to have confirmation soon to share with you.

Thank you to our team at Ralph Steadman Art Collection, Exhibition Sponsors, Partners, Friends, and Fans!

Rikard Österlund and me working on the book. He is brilliant designer and photographer and you should check out his work. www.rikard.co.uk
Also pictured is Holly Craven our writer and editor who is a wonderful person to work with
and Sadie Williams the executive director of the Ralph Steadman Art Collection who is a brilliant leader and collaborator.

Visit American University Museum at www.american.edu/cas/museum

Visit OSU Museum of Art at museum.okstate.edu

Visit Bates College Museum of Art at www.bates.edu/museum

Visit The Barry Art Museum at barryartmuseum.odu.edu

Book Signing in Paris, France, November 2022

I am working on book publishing through my new publishing company.
Dedicated to 25 years of publishing experience and all the fun times working with my dear friend Greg Escalante. You can see some of our past projects in the publishing portion of this site. Yes, My Friend Press will publish artist books and limited fine art print editions.

Recent projects include:
Drawing by Mike McGee (SOLD OUT)
French Park by Amy Caterina (SOLD OUT)
www.amycaterina.com/publications
James Hill Artist & Lover (Released Summer 2022)
jameshillartistandlover.com
Michael McManus (book in process)
Laurie Lipton Drawing with Last Gasp Publishing
www.laurielipton.com
Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing (Release September 2024)
www.ralphsteadman.com

For publishing quotes contact me at 714-812-6678

Fish  Out of Water

The artworks I created were Lure 1-9, 2018
Drawing in ink on Reves tan printmaking paper

This new mural projects location will be revealed soon. The drawing I completed was based on the story about a diver in Newport Harbor who has an altercation with an Octopus while scrapping the sunken remains of the Muriel. It was a fun project to participate in.