Leroy Almon

Leroy Almon (1938–1997) was an American artist known for his woodcarvings and paintings.

Life Almon was born in Tallapoosa, Georgia and grew up in Ohio. After graduating from high school, he became a show salesman and later, worked for the Coca-Cola Company in Columbus, Ohio. At Gay Tabernacle Baptist Church, Almon met Elijah Pierce. In 1979, Pierce became Almon's artistic mentor. He taught Almon how to carve wood and run the gallery space that Pierce operated out of his barber shop.

Career When Almon returned to Tallapoosa to restore his family's home, he converted the basement into a private studio. Almon exclusively used manual tools to map and carve his woodblocks. "His preliminary sketches would be transferred to softwood panels and carved in low relief with pocketknives and chisels." and various universities

His work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, Ackland Art Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Birmingham Museum of Art the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta.