Presented at Kent State University Museum in partnership with the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation
—Opening Oct. 24, 2025—
(KENT, OH) — The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation is thrilled to announce “LeRoy Neiman: A Keen Observer of Style,” opening at Kent State University Museum on Oct. 24. “A Keen Observer of Style” turns to the eclectic artist’s early career as a fashion illustrator and explores how this lesser-known work influenced his lifelong interest in capturing the clothing, gesture and style of his subjects, spanning illustrations and sketches from the 1950s through the 1990s.
LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012) was one of America’s most prolific painters, celebrated for his instantly recognizable style characterized by bold color and dynamic brushwork. He was best known for his brilliantly colored, expressionist paintings and screen prints of athletes, musicians and major cultural moments, capturing hundreds of historic events and legendary figures over his six-decade career.
Preceding this renowned legacy is Neiman’s career as a fashion illustrator. For a decade, he taught figure drawing and fashion illustration at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and, throughout the 1950s, Neiman made a living producing commercial illustrations for fashion brands and retailers, including the Chicago department store Carson Pirie Scott & Co., where he would go on to meet his future wife, Janet Byrne.
“This exhibition offers a rare glimpse into LeRoy’s lesser-known but just as important work in fashion illustration, capturing a pivotal and early stage of his career,” said Tara Zabor, executive director of the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation. “It’s a great moment to look closely at how he encapsulated design and gesture, and how this visual language would later shape some of his most iconic work.”
“A Keen Observer of Style” unites 85 illustrations – many on public view for the first time – spanning Neiman’s early work in retail and commercial illustration and his sketches and studies throughout the ensuing decades, showcasing themes such as masculinity, celebrity and the formal elements of gesture, line and color. Neiman was rarely without his sketchbook, and his art reflects both his curiosity and observational skill. The exhibition additionally includes garments from the artist’s personal wardrobe.
“LeRoy Neiman is so closely associated with sports and celebrity, but I wanted to show that it was his early work in fashion illustration that actually informed his compositions throughout his career. He captured so much of his subjects’ personality through his attention to their clothing and style,” said Sara Hume, Ph.D., curator of the Kent State University Museum.
The exhibition opening will be celebrated on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 30, as part of the museum’s 40th anniversary gala.
“As we celebrate the museum’s 40th anniversary, we’re committed to making space for untold stories and building bold new partnerships,” said Sarah Spinner Liska, Ph.D., J.D., director of the Kent State University Museum. “This collaboration with the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation reveals a rarely seen side of an iconic artist and invites students and visitors to see fashion illustration as a powerful lens for storytelling. We hope it inspires the next generation of designers, illustrators and educators.”
“LeRoy Neiman: A Keen Observer of Style” is curated by Hume and organized in partnership with the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation. It is on view from Oct. 24, 2025, to June 28, 2026.
ABOUT THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM
The Kent State University Museum houses one of the world’s most important collections of fashion, textiles and decorative arts, spanning the mid-1700s to the present. With a collection of more than 30,000 objects and seven gallery spaces, the museum provides invaluable experiences for both the university community and the broader public. It is recognized regionally and nationally for the depth and scope of its collection.
ABOUT THE LEROY NEIMAN AND JANET BYRNE NEIMAN FOUNDATION
The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation aims to preserve and promote the legacy of LeRoy Neiman, supporting organizations that advance the arts and provide opportunities for at-risk youth to build successful futures. The foundation shares Neiman’s ideals, philanthropic spirit and artistic contributions throughout the United States and beyond.
Media Contacts:
Sarah Spinner Liska, Director, Kent State University Museum, sspinner@kent.edu
Jen Crabtree, Director of Marketing, Communications and PR, Kent State University’s College of the Arts, jcrabt13@kent.edu