J Kirk Richards Biography

J Kirk Richards was born and raised in Provo, Utah. He is the fourth of eight children. Kirk was raised in a musical home. In his teenage years, his interest turned from music to the visual arts. Clayton Williams gave him private art lessons. Kirk was later accepted to BYU and studied under several artists, including Joe Ostraff, Wulf Barsch, James Christensen, Gary Barton, Hagen Haltern, Bruce Smith, Patrick Devonas and others.

He served an LDS mission in Rome, Italy. Kirk was able to see and visit many great Italian masterpieces, which later influenced his paintings.

Kirk's art has been featured and published in various shows and publications, such as the BYU Museum of Art, a PBS Documentary, the Ensign, a PBS Frontline Documentary, two books published by Covenant Communications and many more.

Kirk has also won first place in several art shows, including the Springville Museum of Art, Provo Arts Council Freedom Festival, Renaissance Center Juried Show, Southern Virginia University Annual Shenandoah Invitational Art Show, Musuem of Church History and Art, and many others.