Draft:Tim Lefens

Lefens was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1953. At the age of 15, he was befriended by renowned artist Roy Lichtenstein, a relationship that significantly influenced his artistic journey. He spent part of each summer with Lichtenstein in Southampton, where he participated in studio reviews with prominent art dealer Leo Castelli.{{Cite web |title=Lefens, Tim 1953- {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/lefens-tim-1953 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}

Lichtenstein recommended Lefens for art school, which led him to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He later completed graduate work at Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts.{{Cite web |title=Biography - Tim Lefens |url=https://www.timlefens.com/cv-bio/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=www.timlefens.com}}

After completing his education, Lefens held numerous solo art exhibitions in the Princeton, New Jersey, area. His notable exhibitions included a show with Gary Snyder, the director of Princeton Fine Art, and a two-person show with Walter Darby Bannard at the Ellarslie Museum in Trenton, NJ. He also exhibited at Brooke Alexander Gallery, and his work was featured in a benefit exhibit for the Wooster Group, where artists like Jeff Koons and Annie Leibovitz participated.

Lefens was a frequent participant in one-on-one painting critiques with the influential art critic Clement Greenberg, who helped him win the Pollock-Krasner Award for painting.{{Cite web |last=Zausner |first=Judith |date=2011-05-30 |title=CREATIVITY MATTERS by Judith Zausner: An Interview with TIM LEFENS: Painter, Art Activist |url=https://agingandcreativity.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-tim-lefens-painter-art.html |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=CREATIVITY MATTERS by Judith Zausner}}

In the midst of his growing art career, Lefens was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that resulted in near blindness. Despite this, he continued to paint, adapting his techniques and tools to his changing vision.{{Cite web |last=Zausner |first=Judith |date=2011-05-30 |title=CREATIVITY MATTERS by Judith Zausner: An Interview with TIM LEFENS: Painter, Art Activist |url=https://agingandcreativity.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-tim-lefens-painter-art.html |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=CREATIVITY MATTERS by Judith Zausner}}

His solo show at the Farah Damji Gallery in Chelsea was a landmark in his career. He also exhibited large-scale paintings in Jersey City and Hoboken.

In 1999, Lefens founded Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.),{{Cite web|url=https://artrealization.org/|title=Home|website=Artistic Realization Technologies}} a nonprofit organization focused on helping individuals with severe physical disabilities to engage in the visual arts. After an inspiring experience speaking to students with extreme physical challenges, Lefens redirected his artistic efforts toward helping others. He created a studio painting program at the Matheny School and Hospital, which eventually became A.R.T.{{Cite news |last=Purdy |first=Matthew |date=2001-05-23 |title=Our Towns; You Don't Need Hands To Paint, or Eyes to Inspire |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/23/nyregion/our-towns-you-don-t-need-hands-to-paint-or-eyes-to-inspire.html |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), September 10, 1996, Andrea Alexander, "Triumph of the Spirit; Matheny School Students Unleash the Power of Their Creativity," p. O31.

As the Executive Director of A.R.T., Lefens has led the organization for over 26 years. Under his leadership, A.R.T. has provided studio programs in 14 U.S. states and has received support from organizations such as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and the Calvert Fund. A.R.T.'s programs have been supported by notable figures like actor Willem Dafoe, rocker Neil Young, Pulitzer Prize-winning author John McPhee, and David Lichtenstein.

A.R.T. has received several awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts Excellence in Arts Programing Award. The organization's artists have shown their work at prestigious venues, including MOCA, the Princeton University Art Museum, and Sotheby's.

Lefens is the author of Flying Colors, a memoir about his experiences and the intersection of art and disability. Published by Beacon Press, it was named one of Reader's Digest's "Today's Best Nonfiction" and was translated into Chinese. Flying Colors is also included in several university curricula.Publishers Weekly, June 24, 2002, review of Flying Colors, p. 49.Booklist, August, 2002, Gillian Engberg, review of Flying Colors: The Story of a Remarkable Group of Artists and the Transcendent Power of Art, p. 1897.{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tim-lefens/flying-colors/ |title=FLYING COLORS {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}

In addition to his book, Lefens was featured in Me to We, a book written by Craig and Marc Kielburger, alongside figures like Oprah Winfrey, Jane Goodall, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Richard Gere.

He has been featured in numerous media outlets, including People Magazine, The New York Times, CNN, PBS, and CBS Evening News' Eye on America segment.

Lefens has delivered lectures and talks at institutions such as SUNY and the Enshallah Center Conference in Doha, Qatar. He was invited to address prominent figures such as the wife of Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Lefens has also given a TED Talk, sharing his journey as an artist and advocate for individuals with disabilities.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=qLsJYojG2OejujBt&v=arXN677GLx8&feature=youtu.be |title=Unleashing the power of A.R.T: Tim Lefens at TEDxNJIT |date=2014-05-01 |last=TEDx Talks |access-date=2025-02-28 |via=YouTube}}

Lefens and A.R.T. were featured on CBS Evening News, in a segment that highlighted his contributions to the art world and his work with people with disabilities.

{{reflist}}