Kevin H. Adams

April 4, 1959 – October 17, 2023

Gay Street Gallery Co-Founder and Resident Artist Kevin H. Adams passed away on October 17, 2023, after having unexpectedly been diagnosed with untreatable brain cancer earlier that summer. His husband, family and friends have proceeded with showing his remaining work in honor of Kevin’s extraordinary artistic legacy and in loving memory of him.

Kevin’s paintings have been exhibited across the country and around the world. He was a member of both New York’s Salmagundi Club, one of the oldest arts organizations in the United States, and the Provincetown Art Association & Museum. His paintings were exhibited multiple times at both, his work was chosen for two exhibitions at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as at other museums and galleries around the country.

The U.S. Department of State, through its Arts in Embassies Program, selected a number of Kevin’s American landscapes to hang in embassies around the world. The U.S. Department of the Interior twice commissioned collections of Kevin’s work: For the 75th Anniversary of the Grand Canyon National Park, Kevin created a series of paintings of the inner gorge, and for the 85th Anniversary of Glacier National Park, he produced a series of paintings of the park’s back country. Exhibitions were held at the parks and at the Department of the Interior Museum in D.C. For the 75th Anniversary of Shenandoah National Park, the Park Trust commissioned a limited edition gicl!e print of Kevin’s iconic “Old Rag and the Piedmont,” and he was named Artist in Residence at the Park in 2017.

Kevin grew up in Oxford, Maryland, and studied painting at the American Institute in Southern France and the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. As an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was recognized for his artistic ability and awarded the title Combat Artist. His work is in the collection of the Department of Defense. Following his military service, at the invitation of the Soviet government in 1989, Kevin accompanied a traveling exhibition of his work across the Soviet Union. Kevin also designed theatrical sets, including for the Washington National Opera.

For the past almost 20 years, Kevin kept his primary studio here in Rappahannock County, working to capture the beauty of this place and the special light that illuminates it. Thanks to the body of work he leaves behind, his own light will continue to shine for all of us.

In response to requests from many of Kevin’s friends, collectors and followers, you may download here a PDF copy of the Memorial Program that was given to those who attended the Celebration of Kevin’s Life in December in Little Washington, Virginia. Kevin’s husband and other family members thank you all for the outpouring of condolences and support.

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Following is a sampling of work by Kevin H. Adams. While all of these works are sold, please visit Gay Street Gallery to see some of Kevin’s currently available work.

Click on images to open larger in lightbox.