Photo: EPA

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which oversees the original, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed museum in New York as well as four overseas sites, proposed that it and the Finnish capital jointly develop a new museum.

The Guggenheim chose Helsinki due to strong local interest and tradition in art and design, as well as the city’s plans to develop its harbour properties, it said in a report on Tuesday after a year-long feasibility study. It also noted the city lacked a significant modern art collection, a gap it said the museum could fill and help draw tourists.

“Helsinki’s cultural landscape is rich, but it is also fragmented … Helsinki’s art scene lacks a centre of gravity,” the report said, recommending the city move forward with an architectural competition.

It proposed a museum be built on a city-owned site in Helsinki’s south harbour, next to the Alvar Aalto-designed headquarters of Finnish forest company Stora Enso.

Its 140 million euro estimate includes the construction and design of the museum. The Guggenheim is also counting on public, private and corporate funding to cover operating costs. The city is due to decide in the next few weeks whether to go ahead with the project.

The Telegraph Thursday, 12 January 2012

Plans are now being made for Tom of Finland Foundation’s 2012 Art Fair Weekend, which will be held September 27th through the 30th. We will have a larger and more “current” venue that will be more attractive to Artists and Collectors alike, and we return to the successes of previous autumns. We want to provide a more fitting exhibition space and room, both for our formal discussions, and relaxed conversation.

An important part of this 2012 Weekend will be the presence of the winners of our biennial artist contest, the celebration of the 20th anniversary edition of Tom’s biography and the completion of our new art storage facility at TOM House.

The Foundation is steadfast in its commitment to protect and preserve artwork and to promote the exceptional artists that create it.

Art is an integral part of Gay culture. Change INSPIRES.

On Sunday, March 25th, you’ll find ToFF at LA Fetish Pride’s Street Fair! Please join us at this cultural event with adult beverage, kinky vendors and good friends. What more do you need?

Posted 01/18/2012

Carmine Santaniello is proud to announce that his work has been featured in the magazine Noisy Rain, Issue 7.

His recent works are mixed media monoprints utilizing urban images that he photographs, along with drawing through a printmaking process: Paper Lithography.

He is greatly inspired by urban images such as graffiti, dripping / splattered paint, marred subway tiles, posted bills, etcetera. He sees them as intriguing environments that work so well to house his figures and portraits. He loves the contrast of the beautiful male form in a somewhat seedy urban setting.

Noisy Rain Website for Issue 7. See pages 70 - 87 for Carmine's work.

Carmine Santaniello Website.

S. R. Sharp, Maija Liisa and Durk Dehner.

ToFF Volunteer, Maija Liisa Ingebrigtsen, translated a 30 panel story in our Permanent Collection that Tom created in 1946. Tom did the captions of his very early works in Finnish.

It was wondeful having Maija at the Foundation while she was in Los Angeles.

Here's a sample:

Guy 1: “Damn, boss. Can I try it?”

Guy 3: “Fabulous tail!”

Guy 2: “Awesome thing!”

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 –1991), Untitled, 1946, Gouache on paper,
© 1946 Tom of Finland Foundation

Taking a break from his hectic schedule, Santa Claus dropped in to say hello to all of the good(?) boys and girls attending our Holiday Potluck — our annual soirée for members, volunteers and friends of the Foundation.. Everyone had a chance to sit on Santa's lap and steal a kiss.

You can see more of Santa at TOM's Blog .

Nothing Happens Without our Volunteers and Members

EVERYTHING Happens With Them

Posted 01/03/2012

Pages from Gallerie Mooiman catalog.

For the first time worldwide, an LGBT male/gay art gallery was represented on the Millionaire Fair in Amsterdam. Gallerie Mooiman participated in the 10th annual Fair held in December in Amsterdam. Proceeds from the work sold at auction were donated to the Friends of the Gaykrant Foundation.

Tom of Finland pages from the catalogue:

“Tom of Finland’s driving force through the four decades of his artistic career was to provide positive role models for Gay men inspiring messages of self pride and happiness in men loving men. His work transcended into the popular culture and became part of the culture.

"His works reside in many museums of the world like MoMA in New York. He has been hailed as one of the most influential artists of the last century. It is difficult to find any one other individual who has done more for Gay liberation than this humble Finn who spent most of his working career in his studios in Finland and America.”

Gallerie Mooiman Website
Millionaire Fair Website
Gaykrant Foundation Website

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled, 1971, Pastel on paper, 15.25” x 12.00”, ToFF #71.07, © 1971 Tom of Finland Foundation

Durk Dehner at the presentation.

ToFF presented a gift to Aaltonen Museum in Turku, Finland.

Tom of Finland will not be leaving Turku entirely, even though the Capital of Culture year’s successful Tom of Finland Retrospective exhibition is closing there on December 18, 2011. The Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art (WAM) and the Åbo Akademi Library in Turku wish to collect works by Tom of Finland and material related to the artist.

Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF) supports the desires of the city’s institutions and as a token of that support we have donated one of the artist’s works from our collection to WAM, acting as the Turku City Art Museum.

The gift is a signed, pastel portrait from 1971.

We are very pleased to help Tom’s family and friends in his return to his native region. Turku appreciates his Beauty and shares his Message of freedom.

The work was presented to the Museum on December 15, 2011 by Tom of Finland Foundation president and cofounder, Durk Dehner, a close friend of Tom’s and together they established ToFF on December 14, 1984.

Receiving the gift was Päivi Kiiski, Director of Fine Arts at the Museum Centre of Turku. “On the identity front, we are especially interested in Queer research, which makes Tom particularly fitting for our collection,” Päivi Kiiski says with gratitude.

Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen) , a native of Turku’s neighboring town of Kaarina, conquered the world with his trademark style. “From an art history point of view, Tom of Finland has inspired popular culture and contemporary art in many ways. A modern art museum is the best place for his artistic legacy,” Kiiski says.

Tom passed away in 1991 and now belongs to the world. He loved his homeland and he loved to meet people from all over the globe. On paper, he created a world so attractive that countless numbers of Queers sought to live in it and, in fact, recreated Tom’s world in their world – the real world.

Art of Man

Tom of Finland Foundation’s library has received the latest issue of the quartlery, The Art of Man.

“It is a fine arts journal that seeks to bring balance to a genre of art that overwhelmingly favors the female figure. Every edition includes an historical reference, an article on the fine art of the male figure, a directory of over 150 artists, and in-depth interviews with 5 artists that are courageous enough to focus on the male figure as a significant portion of their portfolio.”

ToFF is appreciative of this gift and the work of Firehouse Publishing.

You can find all seven issues of The Art of Man here.

Original ToFF Design by TOM

Happy Birthday to us! On the 14th of December the Foundation turned 27.

In 1984, ToFF, the nonprofit, 501(c)(3) Educational Archive was established. As Tom (Touko Laaksonen) had achieved worldwide recognition as the master of homo-erotic art, the Foundation’s original purpose was to preserve his vast catalog of work.

Several years later the scope was widened to offer a safe haven for all erotic art in response to rampant discrimination against art that portrayed sexual behavior or generated a sexual response. Today the Foundation continues in its efforts of educating the public as to the cultural merits of erotic art and in promoting healthier, more tolerant attitudes about sexuality.

MAY WE SUGGEST A GIFT?
GIVE SOMETHING THAT ENRICHES EVERYONE’S LIVES

HONOR THOSE WHO CREATE AND INSPIRE
DONATIONS —|— MEMBERSHIP —|— BEQUESTS
Donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Thank you to Sean-Z, Dave Davenport and everyone at BENT-CON for an AWESOME experience.

Thank you to our stunning ToFF Volunteers.

Thank you to Rick Castro, Axel, Michael Kirwan, Blake Besharian, Sean Carnage, Roberto Gomez and Carrington Galen for illuminating.

We look forward to the THRILLS of next year. See more on Tom's Blog.

View the film on YouTube!

Tom of Finland died in Helsinki in 1991 but was actually born in the reigon of Turku, Finland.

Mies Mikkonen’s film documents the triumphant return of the permanent collection to Turku including some of Tom’s most iconic and rarely seen artwork.

Documentary: Finland-GB-USA 2011. Duration 10 minutes. Direction and screenplay Mies Mikkonen.

View it on YouTube.

Posted 12/15/2011

Tom of Finland Foundation thanks the California Boots & Breeches Corps of Los Angeles, Jim Neuman, Robert Green, Doug Beardslee, Alex Lindsay and all the members who put so much into their club and give so much to others.

Neuman, Pete Finland and guest at CA B&B annual Christmas party at TOM House, 2011.

You can find the California Boots & Britches website here.

TOM OF FINLAND, (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled, 1965, Graphite on paper, ToFF #65.08, © 2011 Tom of Finland Foundation

Stark Naked or Classic? Take your pick — or pick both! Two New Wall Calendars from Bruno Gmünder.

Without a doubt, Tom of Finland is one of the artists with the biggest impact on Gay culture during the 20th century.

Whether it’s a present — or something for yourself — Tom of Finland is always a terrific choice.

Tom of Finland, the man whose amazing drawings tell us everything about love, lust and life. Hunks who have a good heart and live a simple life. Every month a “story”, every month pride and freedom.

More on World of Tom of Finland

Todd Peter

Tom of Finland Foundation thanks The Barracks bar for busting ass at the beer bust benefit for us.

We thank our Volunteers, and we thank everyone who came.

Congrats to Mr. Palm Springs Leather 2012, Mr. Tool Shed Leather 2012, Todd Peter.

Cover of Tom of Finland: The Comics Volume 1

Boys will be boys!

TOM’s Men can be yours for the price of a drink!

Tom of Finland: The Comics Volume 1 is the most affordable compilation of Tom of Finland’s popular panel stories. This volume features 14 stories, including the first completed by Tom in 1946, and the last, done in 1986. Along the way we meet Jack in the Jungle, Beach Boys, Greasy Rider, Ringo & the Renegades and Tom’s most infamous creation, Kake, the ultimate leatherman.

More on World of Tom of Finland

You can pick-up ANYTHING at a TOM yardsale!

Thanks to our robust Volunteers and everyone who made the grounds look great. And the lucky folks who took home something they had to have.

Every contribution makes your Foundation more meaningful.

Image with the essay on Tom, he is far right.

A release of a new book on Finnish war stories, with a chapter on Tom of Finland.

It is a book of fear, death, grief and trauma but also one of survival and happy endings. It makes the memories of the war personal and understandable.

The essay on Tom of Finland (Lieutenant Touko Laaksonen) is by Lamppu Laamanen, author and publisher.

“After the Winter War on March 26th my generation got drafted, and April 6th 1940 I stepped in line of duty in the Finnish army.” This is what Touko Valio Laaksonen (1920-1991), Tom of Finland, writes in his diary. He is most likely the best known Finnish artist internationally.

It is night and the end of August in Viipurinlahti, Carelia, in the year 1944. Lieutenant Laaksonen is alone in the dark forest and almost stumbles upon a Russian who is assembling his parachute. Laaksonen sticks his bonehafted sheathknife in the soldiers back. The next morning he returns to the body, turns it around and on seeing the young soldiers face falls upon his knees spluttering and starts to cry.

The man is divinely beautiful. “I had seen the likes of him only in my dreams.”

At the same moment Lieutenant Laaksonen understands that he is responsible for destroying life and its beauty and swears that nothing like it will ever happen again. In the last days of the war he sends every bullet of his, past a human being on purpose.

Translation from the Finnish by Anne Nahls

More on TOM's Blog

Durk Dehner, S. R. Sharp and Eddie Jelinet with his donation.

Eddie Jelinet, artist from Long Beach, California has donated a work of his to Tom of Finland Foundation’s Permanent Collection.

It is a handsome homage to TOM and a wonderful example of the artist’s talent.

Nikitas Chondroyannos, Louie Pacheco Saenz and Durk Dehner. Photo by Jay Lawton.

On Saturday, October 22nd, BLUF LA (Breeches LeatherUniform Fanclub) hosted a special BLUF social and benefit for Tom of Finland Foundation, TOM's BLUF.

Over 45 BLUF members and men in full Leather attended the benefit, which was held at TOM House, Tom's historic home and headquarters of Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF). All of the proceeds from the event went directly to ToFF in order to help with our efforts to document, preserve and promote Tom's work and that of hundreds of other artists.

The Foundation is greatful to Nikitas Chondroyannos of Vancouver, Jeff Gent of Los Angeles and all that attended for supporting TOM, his Foundation and all we do.

Besides a strong showing of locals, men from from Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego traveled to LA just for this event.

Photographer Jay Lawton had an on-site portrait studio which was very popular; most guests signed up to have their portraits taken in full gear. ToFF president, Durk Dehner, curated a special selection of original Tom of Finland drawings featuring men in full Leather or Uniform especially for the evening and ToFF unveiled a selection of new, limited edition, Tom of Finland prints for sale.

ToFF is very appreciative of continued support and assistance in the furtherance of our goals and is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Educational Archive so donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donations.

BLUF Website

Charles Stewar imparting at ToFF wiki workshop.

American Libraries, Tue, 11/01/2011
Libraries Tap into Crowd Power

The notion that a group of people with varying opinions, when aggregated, can result in better information than a specific expert could come up with—aka "crowdsourcing"—has been around for some time. It's one of the ideas on which the 10-year-old Wikipedia is based. So it seemed only natural when one of the most-consulted websites in the world recently posted a ubiquitous banner stating WIKIPEDIA LOVES LIBRARIES. What has resulted is nationwide "editathons"—editing marathons organized by active Wikipedia users to expand and add depth to the website's content on a wide range of cultural and historical topics.

At the Tom of Finland Foundation Library in Los Angeles on October 30, the "Queering Wikipedia Editathon" drew community activists, library school students, and members of the Foundation to create and update LGBT-related articles. Katie Herzog, director of the Molesworth Institute, helped put the event together and told AL that the meeting inspired dialogue about Gay history and generated an increased interest in activism for citizen-created content. "Everyone left feeling like it was the first of many to come," she said.

--- By Sanhita SinhaRoy, Asscoiate Editor

ToFF thanks Katie, Charles and Toni for making the wiki world – our world – a better place.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

Call for artists. The next issue's deadline is November 9, 2011.

“There are amazing Gay artists out there and we really want
to showcase great work.”.

Starrfucker Magazine is a quarterly homoartzine. Each issue is just $11, and a yearly subscription runs $45.

Starrfucker Magazine Website

Contact:: starrmaginfo@gmail.com

A Canadian artist who currently lives in Long Beach, California after several years in Japan, Steve MacIsaac’s comics explore the intersection of culture, identity, and sexuality: how gay men strive, succeed, and fail to make sense of the paradoxes and opportunities that present themselves in contemporary gay life, particularly the construction of presentation of masculinity.

SHIRTLIFTER #4 contains the second volume of “Unpacking”, MacIsaac’s graphic novel in progress, which he began in issue three.  The story is centered around a Vancouver graphic designer named Matt, who has begun regularly seeing a visiting businessman. The catch? The businessman is straight. And married. And their no strings relationship quickly begins to get tangled. This new issue also features work from Justin Hall (GLAMAZONIA, HARD TO SWALLOW) and selection of DICK strips from UK artist Ilya (END OF THE CENTURY CLUB).

SHIRTLIFTER #4 is an 80 page, full color comic distributed to bookstores through Last Gasp, Bookazine, and Prerogatives. The comic is available through Amazon and directly from the author via his website.

Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium
1238 Davie Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Open 10 AM – 11 PM daily (PST) 604.669.1753

12” of Sin: ‘So Much Art You Can Barely Fit It All In’ is a juried show of sophisticated, intelligent, and clever erotic art sponsored by Sin City Gallery, Las Vegas. This competition is an extension of the commitment of Sin City Gallery to promote sophisticated, visceral and thought-provoking artists who challenge and inspire the viewer to confront established norms morally, artistically and spiritually.

The art is presented to encourage the patrons to celebrate the erotic as an expression of the whole person through the contemplation of artistic expression in form, color and structure. Sin City Gallery is known for creating art experiences that cause the viewers to think with their senses and feel with their minds.  No dimension on any medium can exceed 12 inches.

Participation in 12” of Sin is open to everyone and all mediums will be considered.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art is to be donated to the non-profit organization, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and its SADAP (Sisters AIDS Drug and Assistance Program).

All entries must be submitted and received by no later than 10/31/11.

Who's exhibiting at BENT-CON?

Some of the top leaders in the field of GLBT comics, visual arts, writing, film and the web!

BENT-CON is an annual convention to provide, encourage and promote emerging and established comic book artists, writers, creators and publishers of LGBT (Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender)-themed work to be shared, inform and expressed to the broader general public; which also includes creative literature, film and other forms of creative expression.

"A comic convention… only Gayer. " Add your name now!

Beloved proprietor of LA Art Box Conservation Framing and supporter of  the arts, Michael Stevenson (1947-2011), has died this month.

A Memorial Mass will be held:
10:00 am Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saint Victor Catholic Church, 8634 Holloway Drive, West Hollywood, California.

Please consider rather than flowers sent, offering that extra support to a favorite institution or charity as Michael so often did.

The Landale Cottage Communiqué
Windon Newton, acting manager – 310.567.6310

Posted 06/20/2011

A look at one of the shirts.

And another!

GEAR Berlin donates to ToFF: New TOM T-shirts.

November marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Tom of Finland. It is the reason for Berlin fetish store GEAR in the Kalckreuthstraße in Schöneberg to create Special Edition T-shirts with images by the Finnish artist of the omnipotent, gay macho man in leather and uniforms.

10 Euros of your purchase price goes to help support Tom of Finland Foundation whose mission is to protect, preserve and promote the work of Tom of Finland, and hundreds of other gay artists -- keeping our culture alive and thriving.

”A totally handsome shirt, rich in detail.
In black and white, striking;
in military olive, exceptional.
Thank you, GEAR, for Supporting Art”.

-- SHARP, ToFF VP | Curator

More info here.

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (Preliminary for drawing #78.18), 1978, Graphite on paper, 11.75" x 8.75", ToFF #0578, © 1978 Tom of Finland Foundation

"Our Collections Committee and Board of Trustees have unanimously approved the generous gift of the Tom of Finland drawing. We are thrilled and so appreciative of the generosity of Feature Inc. and that of Tom of Finland Foundation.

"Again, many, many thanks. We really appreciate your ongoing support and generosity". -- Lucinda Barnes, BAM Chief Curator and Director of Programs and Collections

"The Board of Trustees met on September 13th and accepted with gratitude your generous gift offer of a Tom of Finland drawing. We are pleased to add this work to the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum's collection, where it can be viewed by our students and faculty, and by the general public". -- Lawrence Rinder, BAM Director

The UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is the visual arts center of the University of California, Berkeley and is one of the largest university art museums in the United States. Its mission is to inspire the imagination and ignite critical dialogue through art and film.

Posted10/01/2011

On Sunday, we here at Tom of Finland Foundation received some very sad though not unexpected news from the Netherlands.

Marteen van de Logt 2 (July 15, 1942 – June 12, 2011), the artist known around the world as Martin of Holland, died at his home in Den Haag, in the company for his friends and family, from an inoperable brain tumor diagnosed earlier this year.

Martin of Holland’s art appeals to very specific tastes, and to call it extreme might be a bit of an understatement. His passion for his favorite subject matter and his unflinching imagination set him a part from those who crave social approval or critical adulation. In a time when so many new and established Gay and Erotic artists are trying to “tastefully tone it down,” Martin’s works stand apart as both fiercely creative and proudly uncompromised.

Though many in his home country are unfamiliar with his works, his impact on one of the most socially progressive countries in the world was profound. As the last individual in the Netherlands to be arrested and incarcerated for producing and distributing his own pornography in the 1950s and '60s , the civil rights ramifications of his multiple year imprisonment helped insure that the generations that followed were free from bias and bigotry hidden behind and inside all acts of censorship.

We send our most heart felt condolences to his partner and his family.

Martin of Holland's Webpages

Posted 06/17/2011

George Wong of Montebello, California died on June 6 at 5:00 am.

George was very active in Avatar Club Los Angeles, his community — a loyal ToFF Volunteer and a tremendous help at TOM’s Bars over the years. All that knew him benefitted from knowing him.

The Foundation offers its condolences to the Wong family, who have requested privacy in wake of George’s passing.

Photo by Miguel Angel Reyes

Photo by Miguel Angel Reyes

Video by Roberto5247 Leather at 5:00 min ToFF at 6:36 min

A very special thanks to Miguel Reyes and all the ToFF Volunteers who made LA PRIDE 2011 so jubliant! It was s-t-e-a-m-y in the Erotic City tent and h-o-t out on the streets for the Parade.

The Foundation wishes to thank Jacob Prieto, his dad Arnold, and the wonderful folks at Green Float Company of Fullerton, CA for helping to fufill our mission. This year we had an honest-to-goodness float! Wow!!!

When Christopher Street West launched its Erotic City in 2002 – the goal was to be more inclusive by bringing more of the alternative community to the Festival. Tom of Finland Foundation was invited to be the centerpiece and has been proud to participate since. Thank you to artists Dear Angel, Baphomet, Hector Silva, Karoy and Mark H. Flanders for sharing their beautiful work with all the eager celebrants.

Everyone at CSW — including Rodney Scott, Louie Pacheco Saenz, Steve Ganzell, Sue Sexton, Karina Samala, and Thomas B.W. Nicholson — has the true knack for making everyone around them happy.

Congradulations to Mr. CSW Leather 2012, Neal Kenji Christensen. ToFF acknowledges that each and every contestant adds his own luster to the Leather Community and with them they carry the Spirit of TOM.

The Foundation has been Protecting, Preserving and Promoting erotic art — passing on the Power of Tom’s work, the Passion he has instilled in the Artists who stand on his shoulders, and reminding everyone of the Purpose of the Artist as Storyteller of his Tribe.

Posted 06/17/2011

Xavier Gicquel Photo courtesy DTX

Artwork: Xavier Gicquel

Artiste and friend, Paris-based Xavier Gicquel, donated two exquisite works to ToFF during his visit to the States this past March. The drawings; a preliminary work of a handsome male figure in a rumbled Tom of Finland tee, the other; a studly full-color leatherman in chaps and harness, were graciously added to the Foundation’s extensive Permanant Collection of beautiful erotic art.

We are proud to accept XAVIER’s pieces into our collection and look forward to be called upon to assist numerous other collectors, admirers and artists in both protecting and showcasing their work.

Xavier Gicquel (French) lives and works in Paris. After his studies at Duperré art school, he worked as a fashion illustrator for Pierre Balmain and Nina Ricci. He specializes in male erotic drawings. Among all his sources of inspiration, he often sites Domino and Nigel Kent. His work is regularly published in magazines such as Honcho, Gay Vidéo, Illico, Plan K and Projet X. Gicquel’s drawings have been shown in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Berlin, Amsterdam and Milan. His first monographic book, Rough and Queeny was printed in 2006 for Bruno Gmünder.

Xavier Gicquel Website

Posted 06/04/2011

Cover of LOGAN

The second book by Ulli Richter, LOGAN (2011) is a rare pictorial essay of German porn actor and performance artist Logan McCree — aka Krieger — shot before his rise to fame in the spring of 2005!

Now available in standard and large collectors size at Blob, you can preview the book on the site.

Blob Website,

Ulli Richter Website.

Rick Castro, Stephan, and Axel

On Friday May 27, editor-in-chief for Bruno Gmünder Verlag's book department, Stephan Niederwieser, visited the TOM House to talk about projects that are currently in the works. Based in Germany, Gmünder is an international publishing house for gay books, calendars and magazines.

We also introduced Stephan to many local artists and kept him quite busy. A terrific dinner was served, followed by great conversations on the patio.

Bruno Gmünder Verlag Website.

The Foundation has a new profile under nonprofit organizations. Our previous one simply vanished.

According to the National Coalition Against Censorship, Facebook receives ever larger numbers of complaints for its removal of artwork, including globally recognized masterpieces, containing nudity. Its policy regarding artwork remains arbitrary.

So, join us on FaceBook, we're back!

The pod will be on the Foundation grounds.

PRESERVING HISTORY
JUST GOT A LITTLE EASIER

The David Bohnett Art Preservation Pod

$10,000 has been awarded to Tom of Finland Foundation from the David Bohnett Foundation (DBF).

We applied for this grant to enable us to have a climate controlled, fire proof and weather resistant art storage container at our headquarters, TOM House, here in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The “David Bohnett Art Preservation Pod” will reduce our need for off-site storage facilities and allow much better access to our extensive collections. We will be able to catalog and store new acquisitions more easily, improve the ability to rotate exhibitions at TOM House and give visiting curators a more friendly, “hands on” experience. Most importantly, the “Bohnett Pod” gives more artists a secure repository for the preservation of their work.

We are very grateful and thank David Bohnett and Michael Fleming, executive director, DBF, for their insightful acknowledgement of our mission that furthers the protection, preservation and promotion of our community’s heritage and cultural arts.

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991) Untitled, 1985, Pen & ink on paper, ToFF #85.28, ©1985 Tom of Finland Foundation

A thank you to the Barracks Bar and its owners Carl and John in Palm Springs for hosting our fundraiser TOM’s Uniform Bust, the Volunteers and Artists that made it go, and the attending men and boiz that made it so much fun.

Photo: Larry Kephart

To Our Most Respected Volunteers:

Despite all of the controversy early on, or perhaps because of it, Tom of Finland Foundation is very pleased to announce our most successful Erotic Art Fair Weekend to date, and we owe this prosperity in no small part to our Volunteers.

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all of those who gave their time to help with the Reception and the Fair as well as the set up and tear down. We hope to see you all again very soon.

Bo Tobin — Event Coordinator

It takes an enormous amount of effort to present our annual Art Fair, and, of course, there wouldn't be a Fair without the artists and art lovers!

We are also extremely grateful to our sponsors: the City of West Hollywood, the City of West Hollywood Lesbian & Gay Advisory Board, the West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau, the Consulate General of Finland Los Angeles, the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, World of Tom of Finland, Ramada Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles Band of Brothers, Frontiers Magazine, The Leather Journal, Instigator Magazine, Odyssey Magazine, 665 Leather & Fetish Co., the Anvil Club, TomOfFinland.com, Faultline Bar, Sold Out Clothing, Eagle LA, and RocketmanLA.com.

So, to everyone that participated, a hearty thanks. We hope you had fun, and look forward to seeing you next year.

Durk displays award at 2011 WHLA EAFW Photo: Devin Robinson

The 2011 Southland Honors winners are:

Business of the year – The Leather Journal
Club or organization of the year – Tom of Finland Foundation
Event of the year – Palm Springs Leather Pride
Fundraiser of the year – Louie Pacheco (for ToFF)
Jeff Burnam Community Service Award – Alan Stroik
Mentor of the year – Mike V.H.
Person of the year – Louie Pacheco
TNG Award – Billy Nakasaki
Chairman’s Award – Pup Don
Chairman’s Award – Tom Pardoe

We, at Tom of Finland Foundation, are indeed very honored to have been recognized for everything we do. And we don’t do it alone.

“Whenever I was depressed or disgusted, I would feel him, that spirit inside, urging me back to living, back to drawing, I believe there is a lot to the world that can’t be seen or touched, and if you turn away from that — especially if you are an artist — you are avoiding an important part of life, maybe the very heart of it.” — Tom of Finland

Thank you Los Angeles Leather Coalition for giving strength to our community.

THIS DUDE GITS AROUND…

…BUT YOU CAN SNAG HIM!

The 001 Rebel is an officially licensed action figure based on the celebrated artwork of Tom of Finland. This heavily muscled and big-dicked figure makes a great piece to enhance your collection of erotic art. It's a Limited Edition, so once they're gone, they're gone.

How you can get your paws on a Rebel.

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Use a Rubber, 1980, Graphite on paper, ToFF #80.34, © 1980 Tom of Finland Foundation

A coffee table book by Dr. Kevin Clarke, Porn from Warhol to X-Tube covers the history of gay porn with hundreds of color-plates and fascinating facts.

It’s an essential and influencing component of art and pop culture. Especially when it comes to the self concept of gay men — pornography plays a very important part. Because no matter how the individual thinks about it: The gay rights movement and the triumphal procession of porn media happened at the same time and they have determined each other in a lot of ways.

The history of porn is damn exciting. It has come a long way from the discrete beginnings in the early sixties to pay per minute porn which we can see directly on our screen at home. This anthology leads us through the decades. It only shows us how the industry developed but also how the porn stars themselves have changed. From Pop Art to homemade 3 minute porn videos that we upload on x-tube, from dark cinemas to glamorous galas, the world is porn!

Editor Kevin Clarke studied musicology and literature. He worked for some famous magazines including the Tagesspiegel and the German Playboy. He is also the producer of several radio shows. Since 2011 he is the chief editor of Germany’s No. 1 gay lifestyle magazine MÄNNER.

260 pages, full color, hardcover with dust jacket, 8 ½ x 11 ¼”

Available through Bruno Gmunder.

Durk Dehner, cofounder of the Foundation, is interviewed by Jimmy Palmieri on Donkey Punch Radio. Durk talks about the Foundation and its mission, reminisces about Tom and talks about the importance of our yearly Art Fair.

Listen to the podcast of the show on LA Talk Radio.

Three statues were auctioned off February 27th at Just John’s – St. Louis’ premier nightclub for the LGBT community. The artist, Philip Hitchcock, named the proceeds to benefit Tom of Finland Foundation and Growing American Youth.

Mr Midwest Leather 2010: Philip Hitchcock of St. Louis, Missouri; artist, owner of PHD Gallery, supporter of Tom of Finland Foundation, member of Art Dimensions - St. Louis, Art St. Louis, HRC and the ACLU, Philip was chosen First place and named Mr. Midwest Leather 2010 in September 2010.

Philip previously sent us two checks, “...making a start here [St. Louis] with some fundraisers. More to come.” ToFF thanks Philip for his generosity, friendship and support over many years.

His book, Dark Impressions: The Art of Philip Hitchcock on his sculpture was released in the year 2000. He was included on the annual list of the 100 most influential gay men and lesbians in America by Out Magazine in 2001; “The Out 100,” for this book.

100 Artists of the Male Figure is a contemporary anthology of painting, drawing and sculpture, featuring nearly 400 individual artworks of the male figure in a variety of styles and media.
Compiled by E. Gibbons, it is an ideal resource for students, artists, curators, dealers, and collectors of figurative art. It contains contemporary works by artists from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.

This book bravely showcases works by male and female artists from around the world that focus on this classic subject. Painting, drawings, and sculptures display broad and varied styles, including portraiture, studies, pop art, abstract, and photorealism. Introduction written by by Grady Harp.

Size: 8 1/2” x 11” • 375+ color images • 256 pages • hard cover • $50.00

Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310; phone: 610.593.1777 or fax: 610.593.2002. Schiffer Publishing Website

Further information on the 100 Artists Book Website

Richter For Spexter — the first 100-page coffee table book by photographer Ulli Richter — is a sometimes humorous, sometimes darker look, at the Gay Male Fetish. It contains images created for a unique product catalogue for famous German fetish brand Spexter Munich.

Ulli Richter was born in a small East German village on the Czech border. In his early years as a child he was widely traveled, accompanying his parents to most countries in Eastern Europe. This fostered his interest in photography.

The book is available on Blurb, where you can preview the images online.

Ulli Richter Website

Michael Kirwan speaks!

Jimmy Palmieri and Angie Miller interview former TOM House resident artist Michael Kirwan on their Internet show, Donkey Punch Radio.

Michael talks about his work and how it has evolved from an escape to magazine illustration to social commentary. "Sex doesn't happen in a vacuum."

Listen to the podcast of the show on LA Talk Radio.

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled, 1988, Color pencil on paper ToFF #88.04, ©2010 Tom of Finland Foundation

Tom's artwork appears in Logo's TV series A-List: New York. Watch the Mike Ruiz segment “ToF Transformations Based on TOM Characters” that starts about 13 minutes into the show.

Ruiz says, “Gay men have defined their aesthetic as a result of Tom of Finland.”

We couldn't agree more!

View this episode on Logo's Website and find other interesting programming here. NOTE: Not all programs are available outside of the United States.

Mr. Midwest Leather, Philip Hitchcock, is featured in an 18-month calendar with twenty leather clad (and unclad!) photographs shot by Shannen Green.

The sepia toned, 40-page calendar runs through June 2012 and sells for $24.95. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar benefit Tom of Finland Foundation and the Mr. Midwest Leather Travel Fund.

To order by credit card email Philip Hitchcock or call 314.664.6644.

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled, 1973, Graphite on paper, 11.75” x 8.75”, ToFF #1106, © 2010 Tom of Finland Foundation

Tom of Finland Foundation donated this preliminary drawing through Feature Inc. — the Foundation's New York art representative — to AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA) for their Annual Holiday Dinner last December. The dinner was hosted by InStyle Magazine and the Urban Zen Center at the Stephan Weiss Studio, NYC.

Scott Drevnig, ACRIA's Manager, Events & Art Marketing, thanked the Foundation and reported that "The piece sold for a very good price and we are so happy it's gone to a great home."

ACRIA was founded as the Community Research Initiative on AIDS (CRIA) in December 1991 by a group of physicians, activists, and people living with HIV who were frustrated by the slow pace of government and academic AIDS research. The group brought an activist approach to the study of new treatments for HIV and AIDS. Since that time we have contributed to the development of more than a dozen medications that have received FDA approval.

ACRIA added a treatment education component to its efforts in 1997 for people dealing with the virus. Today, their HIV Health Literacy Program (HHLP) also offers staff training to a whole range of AIDS and other community-based organizations, equipping these groups to integrate HIV healthcare and treatment education information into the services they provide.

ACRIA Website

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (Preliminary portrait of Chuck Renslow), 1981, Graphite on paper, 11.63” x 8.25”, ToFF #0640, © 2011 Tom of Finland Foundation

Tom of Finland Foundation donated this preliminary sketch that Tom did of Chuck Renslow to be with the finished work that is part of the permanent collection of the Leather Archives and Museum.

Chuck Renslow is the founder, in 1979, of International Mr. Leather. When artist Dom “Etienne” died, Renslow combined his collection of Etienne’s art with his own personal archives from his business and his life. These were the foundation of the Leather Archives and Museum, which Renslow co-created with Tony DeBlase in 1991. Renslow is the president of the Archives and has been since it’s conception.

Durk:

Thank you for donating the Tom sketch. It’s wonderful to have this at the museum, and exhibiting alongside the final work is a good idea.

I thank you for all you’ve done for the Foundation and keeping Tom’s work not only safe, but alive. While Tom and Dom did much to pave the way for future erotic artists, the road is still tough. The work you do through the Foundation to assist these artists is something to be proud of, for sure.

Sincerely,

Chuck Renslow
President

Chuck and the LA&M very much appreciate having the sketch to accompany the original work.

— Rick Storer, LM&A

Craig Owen was an invaluable Volunteer for our NYC Erotic Art Fair Weekends. On Christmas night he was in the hospital in intensive care, and “they thought it was not going to have a good outcome.”

He died in January. Craig moved from New York about three years ago, and lived in North Hollywood.

Tom's layout in Issue 46 of Clark Magazine

Created in 2001, CLARK MAGAZINE is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. For this 46th edition, the Belgian artist ELZO offers a cover “under the sign of the Rooster” and CLARK MAGAZINE gave “carte blanche” to 10 French and French-speaking guests.

ILL-STUDIO, the artist SAMUEL FRANÇOIS, THÉO GENNITSAKIS (La Surprise), photographer SCOTT BOURNE, LIONEL VIVIER (Sixpack France), the artist SOZYONE GONZALES, ANDREA CREWS, the label BORN BAD RECORDS, Studio HELLO and art director LAURENT FÉTIS, each introducing their world, their achievements, their favorite artistic and cultural interests with complete freedom.

The opportunity to discover unpublished interviews of artists like LAWRENCE WEINER, AA BRONSON (General Idea), the drawings of TOM OF FINLAND, the photographs of JOSEPH SZABO, YAN MORVAN, LESLIE KULESH & VIDA GASTALDON and SANTIAGO MOSTYN as well as the results of an utopia from ANDREA CREWS, the work of artists like BALDO, CHAIX, ELZO…

French photographer CÉDRIC VIOLLET depicts the French actor OLIVIER BARTHÉLÉMY (Sheitan, Redheads) in the streets of Paris for the fashion pages.

For this collector issue, artists 2SHY x RVO, STEVEN HARRINGTON, SPIT x MON COLONEL, AKROE and PABLO COTS wanted to celebrate the anniversary of Clark by creating exclusive artwork as a tribute to the magazine.

Clark Magazine Website
English Text of the Article Here

Per Helge Nylund Photo: Tomasz Wacko

Per Helge Nylund was born 1970 in Tromso, Norway. He holds the position as Exhibition Manager at Tromso University Museum.

Per Helge first encountered Tom’s art as a 15 year-old, and was “struck with fascination, not just for the excellent artwork, but with the very idea of gay men being depicted so naturally masculine – an idea that is almost self-evident, but perfectly put to the point in Tom’s drawings”.

“I really like the fact the someone cares for the preservation of Tom’s art legacy”, he says, “not just as a Tom fan, but also as a museum professional. The fact that the Foundation also cares from many other erotic artist, trying to widen the scope of Art and making erotic artists better known, makes it all the more worthwhile. I like to think of the Foundation as a good crossover point between my gay life and my professional museum life.

“I fully understand how important it is that ToF admirers all over the world take part in the guarding of Tom’s heritage to us… I am happy to be one of your northernmost members and look forward to (continuously) spread the ToFF enthusiasm here at 70° North!"

Per Helge lives in Tromso with his partner. None of them has ever been to the USA, but ace convinced that their first trip should include a visit to the Foundation’s HQ in Los Angeles.

The Leather Archives & Museum [LA&M] announced the arrival of Allison R. Wickman from the Art Libraries Society of North America [ARLIS] Internship program. She spent approximately 5 weeks at the LA&M creating a user guide for AIDS related resources at the institution.

Allison was the Tom of Finland Foundation Library Director for three years after which she 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.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, most recently the Art Libraries Society of North America Internship Award. This prestigious award grants financial support to students of librarianship, visual resources and curatorship, in order to support an internship at an art library or visual resources collection.

Allison has examined the LA&M’s oral history collection in order to create a user guide that focuses on dialogues relevant to the impact of AIDS on leather culture, community and art. She used audio files from these conversations and relevant images from LA&M’s collection in order to curate an online exhibition. The purpose of this exhibition will be to highlight portions of LA&M’s holdings that are relevant to the AIDS epidemic.

About Leather Archives & Museum

The Leather Archives & Museum is a library, museum and archives pertaining to leather and alternative sexual communities. The geographic collection scope is worldwide and includes all sexual orientations and genders. The library collection contains books, magazines, scholarly publications, films and electronic resources related to the subject matter. The museum collection contains original erotic art and artifacts from alternative sex organizations and individuals. The archival collection contains unpublished papers and records from notable activists, artists, businesses and organizations related to the subject matter.

As an international liaison for ToFF, Allison and her husband Wiki were instrumental in the success of the current Tom of Finland Retrospective in Turku.

Art Libraries Society of North America Website

Leather Archives & Museum Website, Allison's Project

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 the 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 and furthering our goal to "Protect, Preserve and Promote the Erotic Arts".

A collection of Robert Richards drawings can be seen in the book Allure, published by Bruno Gmuender Books.

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.

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.

Carrington Galen

Carrington Alexander Galen was born in Chicago, but was raised in the farm country of Northern Indiana, and relocated to the West Coast after high school. He goes by the name “Carr”.

He has held a variety of positions from hair stylist extraordinaire, senior financial analyst for McDonald Douglas, did a brief stint as an entertainer, landscaper and artist.

He is currently pursuing his Web and Multi Media Design degree at DeVry University (but really just wants to be a better hacker). A resident of West Hollywood, and an avid gardener, Galen is actively engaged in improving public space through horticultural endeavors.

Carr works in the areas of Horticultural Management for the Foundation’s headquarters facilities, in addition to overseeing their recent IT transition, and all the various issues that arose.

He has lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, and almost Houston.

BRAD RADER'S Harry & Dickless Tom (cover), 2006

The Foundation would like to thank Brad 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’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.

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled, 1978, Pen & ink on paper, ToFF #78.56 © 2011 Tom of Finland Foundation

"As an author and art collector, I have a deep appreciation for the hard work and countless opportunities that the the staff and volunteers of Tom of Finland Foundation provide to the unknown, underrepresented and uncompromisingly kinky artists of the world. I am honored to work here as a grant writer and fundraising coordinator.

"Having worked and volunteered for dozens of social, political and artistic nonprofits over the last 25 years, I look forward to helping the Foundation achieve its goals of protecting, preserving, and promoting erotic art and those who work in the medium."

[On display: One of Bo's favorite TOM works.]

SATYRS by Ron Anderegg & Henning von Berg

The Foundation would like to thank Ron for his donation of Satyrs. The book was thoughtfully put together, with handsome results, and is a wonderful addition to our library.

Since my preeteens, 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.

Jumping to the present, Henning, my partner, first came into my life at the 1999 Tom of Finland Erotic Art Fair in Los Angeles. He was showing his male nude photography and I was exhibiting my 3-D collage work. Our relationship of mutual admiration and artistic respect prevailed and, five years later, this collaborative effort was born. This book pays homage to man’s favorite toy, the phallus. We dedicate it to all Satyrs past, present, and future.

Ron Anderegg, anno MMV

The coauthor is Henning von Berg and it is full of his beautiful photographs along with classical images.

“He offer’d it with downcast look, As fearful that I might refuse it; I told him, when the gift I took, My only fear should be to loose it.”

Satyrs is available for purchase here.

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!

Many thanks to all of our volunteers, members and supporters for helping us keep the doors open.

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’t have done it without you! 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 Owner, 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 benefitedAPLA’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 Gray 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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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.