“Portraits of Pride” by E. Lesh celebrates United States’ LGBTQ+ icons through Nov. 12 at the newly-reopened Fine Art Galleries at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, Allentown.

This is the debut solo gallery exhibit for the self-taught artist, who is based in New York City where he is an LGBTQ rights attorney.

“It’s so nice to be back in person again with arts and culture programs for our community and to reopen our galleries with ‘Portraits in Pride,’” says Executive Director Adrian Shanker, who discovered the artist’s work on the social media platform, Instagram.

“I’m a musical theater nerd,” says Lesh as he describes how the whimsical line drawings of caricaturist Al Hirschfeld influence his own work. Lesh admits to searching for the late cartoonist’s daughter’s name ‘Nina’ in each Hirschfeld drawing of personages from the world of theater and entertainment.

“Keith Haring” (2021, ink on Arches paper, 9 in. x 12 in.) is Lesh’s black and red ink tribute to the famous pop artist and Kutztown native who died of AIDS-related complications in 1990. Haring’s facial likeness is framed by some of the artist’s signature “dancing men.”

While employing minimal line drawing, Lesh says he attempts to include elements into each work that highlight the subject’s personality and accomplishments.

The first portrait in the series that began in June 2021 is “Larry Kramer” (2021, ink on Arches paper, 9 in. x 12 in.). Kramer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and HIV-AIDS activist, died in 2020 at age 84.

“His face looks weary and tired and worn hard,” says the artist about his sketch of Kramer, “His life was heavy.”

The “Silence = Death” caption appearing at the bottom of the drawing refers to the motto of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) of which Kramer was a co-founder.

Each portrait in the exhibit features a short biography of the subject.

The exhibit was curated by Bill McGlinn.

Rob Ritter of Weichert Realtors is the presenting sponsor.

Singer-songwriter Morgan Reilly performed and Sweet Girlz Bakery and McGlinn provided refreshments at the Sept. 23 artist reception.

The Fine Art Gallery at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, 522 W. Maple St. at Bayard Rustin Way, Allentown, Gallery hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday - Friday, Closed Saturday and Sunday. Face masks are required regardless of vaccination status. Information: www.bradburysullivancenter.org; 610-347-9988

“Gallery View” is a column about artists, exhibitions and galleries. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com