Today we’d like to introduce you to Raymond Elman.
Hi Raymond, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Raymond Elman is an American artist, publisher, editor, and writer. Until 1989, he made only abstract art, which was exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, and which was included in the U.S. Art in Embassies program when Jane Thompson, widow of ambassador Llewellyn Thompson, was directing the program. From 1989 to the present, he has made 400+ large-scale (i.e. 60 x 40 inches), mixed-media portraits on canvas, primarily of people in the arts . Four of his portraits are in the collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and have been exhibited there — U.S. Poet laureates Robert Pinsky and Stanley Kunitz, and Pulitzer Prize recipients Jhumpa Lahiri and Alan Dugan. Elman maintained a home in the Provincetown area on the northern tip of Cape Cod from 1970 to 2012, before moving to Miami year-round in 2012. In 1985, he co-founded Provincetown Arts magazine with Christopher Busa. As of 2026, the magazine is still being published. In 2014, he founded the Inspicio arts digital publication platform, which changed its name to ArtSpeak in May 2023. ArtSpeak is sponsored by the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media in The College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts at Florida International University in Miami.
Elman earned two degrees, a BS (1967) and an MBA (1968) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. While attending UPenn, Elman took all of the studio art courses he could schedule. After graduating from Penn, Elman moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, where he took studio art courses at New York University (NYU) and met his mentor Knox Martin (1923-2022). Martin motivated Elman to “give up his day job” and move to the Provincetown art colony.
From 1970 to 1989, Elman made only abstract art. Four suites of abstract prints were printed by Izmo Productions in New York City. Two suites were published by HMK Fine Arts. And Elman made many large-scale abstract paintings using mixed-media on canvas until 1989, when he changed his focus to large-scale, mixed-media portraits.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In September 1970, Elman moved from New York City to the Outer Cape Cod art community (Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet), where he didn’t know a soul, The first year he lived off an IRS tax refund of $5000, but never felt happier. His rent for a 2 bedroom cottage on a bluff overlooking Cape Cod Bay was $75. per month. Over the past 56 years, Elman has done a variety of things to earn money — started three art publications, co-founded Streamline Communications, which went public as Bridgeline Digital in 2001, was the National Director of Creative Services for Coopers & Lybrand, was president of Aericon — but he always maintained a large art studio and created a large volume of work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
From 1970 through 1989, I only made abstract art, which was sold in galleries and exhibited in museums worldwide. Highlights included museum exhibitions in Provincetown, and Boston, having large pieces hung in 12 U.S. embassies, and producing 6 suites of prints.
In 1989, I invented a new technique to make a 6 x 5 foot, mixed-media portrait of my pregnant wife showing off her swollen belly. I was so enamored of the process that I have continued making large-scale, mixed-media portraits for the past 37 years — mainly of people in the arts.
In 2016, I had an exhibition of 13 such portraits at PAAM, the art museum in Provincetown. In 2023-24, I had an exhibition of 28 portraits at the Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami Beach. In 2026, I had an exhibition of 30 portraits in both buildings of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
In addition, in 2015, I founded “ArtSpeak” (nee “Inspicio”), which provides high-quality, in-depth insights into all art disciplines. The heart and soul of ArtSpeak is our 500+ video conversations with impactful creative people — U.S. Poet Laureates, Pulitzer Prize recipients, Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Pritzker, Murrow, Emmy, Golden Globe, etc. — award winners. ArtSpeak is sponsored by the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, which is part of The College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts at Florida International University (FIU). When I exhibit portraits of people I have interviewed for ArtSpeak, I include QR Codes that link to the interviews in the wall text.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I LOVE what I do, and I work all the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.rayelman.com/
- Other: https://artspeak.fiu.edu/
