Rick Allen, musician and visual artist, is scheduled to meet with wounded warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on March 20, prior to March 21st appearances at the Bethesda and McLean Wentworth Galleries for the local debut of his latest collection, "Rick Allen: Angels and Icons."  Allen has been the drummer for the iconic rock group Def Leppard for 40 years, in spite of the loss of an arm in a near fatal car accident in 1984.

Since then, Allen has been reaching out and giving support to others, renewed by a spiritual transformation and his intense love of drumming, music, and visual art.  Rick explains, “My life has been a journey of transformation and my art is a reflection of the many facets of dreams and perceptions that have shaped me to be the person I am today.  Each piece has a story and a connection to my life from my roots in England, my life changing car accident, journey to America, travels around the globe and to my deep connection to Wounded Warriors and their struggle to heal.”

Inspired by a 2006 visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Rick Allen and his wife, Lauren, founded The Raven Drum Foundation to assist wounded service members. They began inviting service members and their families backstage at Def Leppard shows for an experience dubbed “Warrior Gatherings.”   During a session at a 2009 concert, Allen met John Roberts, a former US Marine with war-related traumatic injuries, who currently serves as Warrior Relations Executive Vice President of The Wounded Warrior Project.

Different as they may seem, Allen and Roberts have one major thing in common: both have suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is because of PTSD and their shared desire to assist and connect with those who are also suffering from it that these two unlikely friends came together. Their combined efforts have progressed the understanding and treatment of the disorder.

For nearly six years, Allen and Roberts have worked to combine The Raven Drum Foundation with the efforts of The Wounded Warrior Project. Together, they continue to hold Warrior Gatherings backstage at Def Leppard concerts. It is there that Allen and Roberts share their own stories, in hopes that they will inspire vets to talk openly about their struggles.

Wentworth Gallery is honored to present, in its DC Metro premiere, Rick Allen’s works from his latest collection entitled “Rick Allen:  Angels and Icons." This collection of mixed media originals, featuring his personal photography, light art, and painting, will be exclusively shown and available for acquisition in a dual-exhibition presentation at two Wentworth Gallery locations in Bethesda, MD and McLean, VA.  Rick Allen will be making two very special appearances at these charitable events on Saturday, March 21, 2015. 

A portion of the proceeds from each and every sale during this extraordinary event will be donated back to the  "Warrior Resiliency Program," sponsored by Allen’s Raven Drum Foundation, and each purchaser of a mixed-media original will receive a limited edition hand-signed Commemorative Purple Heart 14 piece. Allen’s art is currently being showcased exclusively in Wentworth Gallery locations throughout the country.