Lee Groban is a poet, artist, performer and icon, who is a visionary in the 'Chicago Art Scene.' Lee has participated for over 3 decades with his unique and personal visions. The holder of Guiness Book of World Records for world's longest movie with recitation and performance of his epic poem of well over 5,000 pages, mostly hand written with a deep pen, or typed on an old typewriter with faded ribbons. Lee is active in the art community and shows often in many alternative venues. Lee has performed with Garvey numerous times in San Francisco, and at Carnegie Mellon Univ. in PA. Lee has been a featured artist in Pulp Magazine, the Reader, the Globe, New City, Be Art Now Gallery, and many more, as well as in productions and with rock bands in New York City.
Work recently shown includes: the Jett Set Gallery, Chicago - Jan.2002 (showing the video performance from NYC 1997, on location at the World Trade Center): the legendary 30 yr old ARC Gallery, Chicago, in a one-person installation/show at RawSpace 1998, curated by Nancy Bechtol,: a return engagement at ARC in June 2001 live performance with Frank Garvey's Robot Theatre - "Omnicircus." Lee is known for his live performances, full costumes, dramatic vocalizations in his poetry, and intense coloured art works. Lee continues to show art and perform widely at diverse venues, including: Around the Coyote, Bucktown Arts Festival, loft shows and many alternative art scenes. Geneology and ancient ancestry is a hobby of his, rooted in his Bachelor's degree in Russian Language studies and Master's degree in Library Science (which surprises many). He loves to research in obscure tribal origins and especially revels in the legacy of the naming conventions, and uses resources in the Newberry Library, Northwestern Univ. Library and the University of Chicago Library.  In addition, he is in numerous collections, and has received a grant awarded from the Community Arts Assistance Award (CAAP) from the Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs, City of Chicago, for a poetry and art publication and distribution. Lee has been showcased in many articles and even appeared live on "Chicago's Own Channel 9" Broadcast TV for the morning show reading his works in 1998. Locally a favorite with fellow artists and appears in their art projects, as in Chicagoan Nancy Bechtol's experimental video art work and on cablecast CANTV; exhibited nationally and often recognized internationally, and has art in collections of well-known celebs, including: Rich Melman, the restauranteur, to name a few. He was also filmed and interviewed by BBC in New York at the John Lennon Memorial in 1999. He has also met Patti Smith and one of the members of her band(Wayne) who expressed some interest in his visual artwork. A copy of his self-published poetry-art book is also in the collection of memorabilia of Arlo Guthrie.

(this page designed by Nancy Bechtol. You can view a lot more about Lee Groban at Be Art Gallery--currently under 'featured artist' )

Lee Groban is a natural, self-taught artist.