George Dudley
Aug. 18, 1951 - Feb 3. 1993

The George Dudley Archive at LLGAF
By Charles Leslie

The approach of the 10th anniversary of George Dudley's untimely death of AIDS at 42 is an appropriate time to provide LLGAF supporters and friends with information concerning the foundation's ever growing archive and to remember George, the foundation's first director and creator of the archive.

When George came to us in 1990 -- when we had finally received our non-profit status after three years of struggle with the federal government -- he immediately took over the development of exhibitions, vetting artwork, improving our mailing list and generally promoting LLGAF.

One day, soon after his tenure began, Norbert Sinski, Fritz and myself were having drinks in George's studio-loft on the Bowery. (George was an accomplished and productive artist.) Then, rather abruptly, George said, "Charles and Fritz, we've got to develop an archive of gay art and gay artists…" About two hours later he concluded a virtual oration on the absolute necessity of Leslie-Lohman establishing an archival resource on gay artists. George emphasized that even obscure straight artists are often "stored" in general art archives where they can be "rediscovered" by art historians, scholars and students of the present and future…But gay artists who work with openly gay imagery are almost always marginalized and excluded from mainstream institutions…For every Warhol, Mapplethorpe, Hockney and Haring, there are hundreds of wonderful gay artists whose work -- because of its content, not its quality -- fade into obscurity.

Of course George was talking to the right people because we already had the nucleus of an archive based on the files we kept on artists shown by The Leslie-Lohman Gallery over the preceding two decades. But George made it clear that a research archive would have to develop as a virtually independent enterprise operating in tandem with the gallery. To that end a program of acquisition of artist information was energetically developed by George and this work continues unabated under the capable supervision of our director, Wayne Snellen, who is also, singlehandedly, committing mountains of information to computer accessible systems.

To give you an idea of the growth of the archive, in 1990 we had substantive information on between two-hundred and three-hundred artists. Today, our data bank contains information on 2,237 artists. Anyone who is interested in accessing information is welcome to contact the foundation. Our community art history belongs to all of us. Also -- I want those of you who didn't have the chance to know George to know a little more about him.

George, who never lost his mellifluous southern accent, had grown up mostly in Georgia and Alabama. Artistically gifted, he took a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and a MFA from the Maryland Institute Graduate School of Painting. He subsequently had several exhibitions in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Moving to New York City he realized that he had to do something to supplement his art income and so founded and became the president of The American Postcard Company. It was enormously successful with an international market, and with George's super-camp sense of humor and knack for political satire, many of the cards stirred controversy and drew attacks from right-wingers. George said the conservative attacks always resulted in bigger sales.

George, a sort of human dynamo, also founded and organized the hugely successful drag queen fundraiser, The Night of a Thousand Gowns, which goes on to this day. In 1988 he was elected "Emperor George Dudley the First, King Father for Life" along with Empress Razor Sharp.

When George came to us he was already seriously ill, but you'd never know it. One of the last visits I ever made to George's hospital room a couple of nights before he died, I went armed with a clipboard note pad and two new pens. George, who could barely sit up, but incredibly lucid, was projecting exhibitions, listing people I had to call, printing I had to check on, artists I had to see. My note pad was full when I left him in heavily medicated sleep.

I walked all the way back to SoHo in the evening cold, clipboard clutched tightly under my arm…Without at first realizing it, I felt hot tears coursing down my cheeks. Two nights later I met Norbert coming out of the hospital chapel…George was gone.

In closing -- and in memory of George (August 18, 1951 - February 3, 1993) I want to share the letter I wrote to George's family soon after his death. I believe it gives you something of an idea of who George was…And is.

Feb. 16, 1993
TO GEORGE DUDLEY'S FAMILY
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Dudley, Nancy, and Anne,
Although we haven't met yet - (I hope that we will eventually) - I feel very easy and good about talking to you directly in this note. To know George was to understand that he came from some kind of truly amazing stock.

George breezed into our lives at a time when I and my companion of 32 years were in a state of psychological exhaustion after three years of trying to get The Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation off the ground. In effect, George picked all of us up and twirled us around like a larriet and re-energized - recharged everyone involved.

George was bossy, managerial, and -- brilliant.

George organized, prodded, goaded, guided, and set a pace that kept everyone gasping -- and at their productive best.

In quieter social moments when George and Norbert and Fritz and myself were at our country place in Maryland we got glimpses of a boy and young man - evocations of growing up in Georgia and Alabama -- filled with such warmth, humor and affection that we began to feel that we knew George's mom and dad a little bit, -- his sisters, -- other relatives, friends.

As you know better than anyone, George was graced with high intelligence, a wonderfully acerbic wit, and genuine artistic talent. While always sensitive to other people, George was nonetheless a no-nonsense businessman who did not suffer fools lightly. He was, in the best sense of the phrase, "a take-charge kind of guy." But most importantly, the thing that gave a transcendent light to George's life was that, from a very early age, he knew himself and who he was. Instead of thinking of that knowledge as problematic George simply turned his life into a triumph.

George was blessed with his family -- which, of course, includes Norbert -- and with a world of friends who loved and admired him and who will always be better people for having known him.

It's not too much to say that many of us here are broken-hearted right now -- but we take joy in George's life -- and will -- for as long as we live.
With respect and -- please let me say it --

Love,
Charles Leslie