On Air with Douglas

On Air with Douglas


Artist, Activist and Storyteller, Paul Richmond

November 26, 2014

Paul Richmond is an artist, activist, and storyteller. His work often incorporates elements of pop culture, politics, and his own experiences as a gay man. You can see all of his work, purchase some prints and more at http://paulrichmondstudio.com. His latest series, War Paint, explores ideas of identity and masculinity through expressive, figurative paintings of men covering their bodies with paint. He enjoys working with models who have made important or interesting contributions to LGBT culture, and he's painted everyone from Jack Mackenroth to Perez Hilton. Many of the "gaylebrity" models were a part of his Cheesecake Boys series, a gay/male spin on classic pin-up art from the 40's and 50's.

When he's not painting, he is busy with a non-profit organization that he founded with his childhood art teacher called the You Will Rise Project. Their mission to empower young people who have experienced bullying to speak out through the creation of uncensored artworks. He was bullied horribly as a kid and having a creative outlet made all the difference. He does free workshops for young people, a mentorship program connecting college artists with bullied high school students, a special project last spring called Art For Michael in support of an 11 year old boy who attempted suicide after being bullied for his love of My Little Pony, and a new social media photo campaign called #SelfieRespect. Visit: http://youwillriseproject.com.

Him and his husband  are involved with the fight for marriage equality as well. They were married a year and a half ago with a group of 24 other LGBT couples who rode a bus to Washington DC and had our ceremony in front of the Supreme Court building just days before DOMA was repealed.