STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. - The "Ride the Thunder" art show is a public display of the works of British illustrator Ralph Steadman, featuring some of his collaborations with American journalist Hunter S. Thompson. 

The free show can be found now through Oct. 31 on the second floor of the historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge.

“What's very exciting is that this exhibit in particular is a very rare collection that does not see the public light very often,” said Thomas Winstanley, chief marketing officer for Theory Wellness, a co-presenter of the exhibit.

Steadman and Thompson first worked together in 1970 on a piece titled “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved." That started a long friendship and a history of the famous journalist and illustrator working together. It also began Thompson’s popularization of “Gonzo journalism,” where the reporter is often part of the story, telling it through a first-person narrative.

“The 'Ride the Thunder' exhibit actually came about around the 50-year anniversary of their first meeting," Winstanley said. "A lot of the works depicted here follow Hunter through some of his adventures in his different editorial pieces that Ralph was a part of.”

The exhibit is being co-presented by The Red Lion Inn, the Norman Rockwell Museum and Theory Wellness. Inn general manager Simon Dewar said "Ride the Thunder" may be the first of many art exhibits at the inn.

“The Red Lion Inn has always had a very close connection with Norman Rockwell," Dewar said. "And so, we were able to partner with Norman Rockwell Museum as well and really bring this bring this to fruition.”

“As soon as this came forward, we were immediately excited and interested, mostly because we know the role that both Steadman as well as Hunter Thompson played in the culturally kind of sphere, especially when it comes to their involvement with drugs and some of the other extracurriculars they had throughout their career,” Winstanley said.

The exhibit includes some never-before-seen pieces from Steadman. The co-presenters are calling it a journey into the heart of American art and literature.

“His connection is not just to popular culture, but also to music," Dewar said. "So that's where I see those connections. You know, you will recognize, if not the style, you'll recognize his work from other music album covers where he's been really sort of connected over the over the years.”

“You'll see in some of this body of work, some of the early works were from 1970 all the way to things like the Jack Harlow portrait, which was done in the last couple of years," Winstanley said. "And so Ralph has certainly maintained his status, his term in terms of cultural influence, everything from Slash at the end of the hallway to this Harlow to Bob Dylan and Post Malone piece. He's really maintained a finger on the pulse and his work stands alone in many regards.”