The ink-splattered exhibit Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective, currently on display at the Central Library through Sept. 8, 2019, has been popular among art lovers throughout the region. Featuring more than 100 of the illustrator's original works, the special touring exhibition's stop in Kansas City offers a number of ways to learn about Steadman's career and the cultural, political, and creative forces that helped shape his art over time.

Aside from the exhibit itself, there are other ways to celebrate all things Gonzo, including opportunities to purchase commemorative merchandise, attend original Library programming, read in-depth stories about Steadman's life and work, and more.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT


   

Merchandise

After you've viewed the exhbition, you can take a bit of gonzo home with you. A variety of retrospective merchandise is available for purchase at the Central Library's first-floor customer service desk during operating hours. A portion of sales benefit the Library. A selection of books are also for sale, including The Joke's Over, Steadman's memoir about his creative collaboration and friendship with writer Hunter S. Thompson; illustrated editions of George Orwell's Animal Farm and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland featuring Steadman's art; and a number of other titles.


   

 


 

ADDITIONAL READING

Dive deeper into the stories behind the artwork in these features and news stories.          

FYI BOOK GROUP

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Library recently hosted a dicsussion of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for the latest edition of the FYI Book Group, co-presented by the Library and the Kansas City Star. Attendees were able to tour the two galleries featuring highlights of Steadman's work throughout his career, noting a few pieces that were used as illustrations in Fear and Loathing.

Read the story in the Kansas City Star
 

 

Events

Ralph Steadman's career is inexorably tied to that of his frequent collaborator, gonzo writer Hunter S. Thompson, beginning with their infamous pairing on an assignment to cover the Kentucky Derby and most  notably on Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which Steadman illustrated.  On August 21, the Library will host author Timothy Denevi for a discussion of his book Freak Kingdom: Hunter S. Thompson's Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism. Denevi goes beyond the caricature of Thompson as drug- and booze-addled and explores the work of a forceful literary and political journalist who was in his prime from 1963 through Nixon’s resignation in 1974.  

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Guests visiting the Library are enjoying the exhibition and sharing their experience with others. Tag your social media posts with #SteadmanKC and #SteadmanRetrospective!