OUR STORY

RICHARD’S FOUNDATION

The Richard Schmid Fine Art Foundation believes that sharing and teaching fine art techniques has the power to do good, connect, and inspire people by opening new doors to the realm of creativity and that art-making has the unique ability to address and bridge social, environmental, and cultural challenges within our modern communities.

Please click here to view the Biographies of the RSFAF Board of Directors, our Executive Director, and our Stove Prairie Press team members of Richard’s publishing company.

Richard’s
Legacy

Over the course of his distinguished sixty-year career as a painter, author, teacher, and philosopher, Richard Schmid was a passionate spokesman for what is known as the Grand Manner— a certain mingling of skill and unrestrained joy in art. His profound influence on the world of art, his paintings, and knowledge of Alla Prima painting, has sparked a 21st-century Renaissance of Fine Art. His artworks are deeply rooted in the…

techniques of the Grand Masters yet express a bold, contemporary interpretation.

Richard’s paintings and extensive body of work, including his instructional art books, DVDs, new streaming videos, lectures, and feature magazine articles, have become cornerstones of a global movement, inspiring artists to pursue their own creative expression. His legacy is not just in the masterpieces he created, but in the spirit of inspiration he ignited in countless others.

Throughout his life, he encouraged artists to form art groups— providing camaraderie and a bond of support with a special opportunity to learn from each other. Beyond his artistic contributions, Richard’s influence extended to philanthropy, as he and many of his students raised funds for vital causes, benefiting institutions such as The Salmagundi Club in New York City, The Palette & Chisel Academy in Chicago, The Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department through the Richard Schmid Auction in Colorado, and The Rocky Mountain Conservancy in Estes Park, Colorado, among others.

Richard Schmid’s legacy is a testament to the enduring power of art, the importance of mentorship, and the profound ability of creativity to make a lasting impact on both individuals and communities. He firmly believed that art has the power to do good.

Richard Schmid speaking at the Portrait Society of America Conference

GLOBAL ART PARTY

In 2014, Nancy Guzik, Penelope Adams, the Putney Painters, and friends wanted to honor Richard Schmid’s 80th birthday in a truly special way. They secretly organized a Global Birthday Card Party, inviting artists from around the world to join in the surprise. What began as a heartfelt idea quickly grew beyond anything they had imagined.

Thousands of cards and gifts arrived from over 85 countries, each filled with admiration, gratitude, and best wishes for Richard. Artists from around the world expressed their appreciation for his generosity of spirit, his extraordinary teachings, and the profound impact he had on their lives and art. The sheer volume of love and respect pouring in was as overwhelming for Nancy and her fellow organizers as it was for Richard himself. What started as a simple tribute became a global celebration of his remarkable legacy and a testament to his profound and lasting influence on the art world.

The Putney Painters and friends gathered for a surprise evening, celebrating with Richard his over a thousand heartfelt cards

Molly Schmid helps her father, Richard, open hundreds of heartfelt cards in celebration of him.

The Plein Air Studio in Brazil joins the celebration for Richard’s 80th birthday.

Celebrating RICHARD SCHMID

With Richard’s passing and in the midst of the worldwide pandemic, we sought to create a safe place for artists to pay tribute to and celebrate Richard’s life. In October 2021, we created “Celebrating Richard Schmid,” a worldwide 24-hour online tribute to Richard, and a day of painting demonstrations by twelve top artists who studied closely with him. Despite distance and separation, we overcame social isolation by bringing diverse artists from over 90 countries to collectively share their gratitude and grief, tears and laughter, along with their paintings and stories inspired by Richard’s teachings—uniting our world through art. Please view a sampling of Kind Words in our Global Connection below.

Artists worldwide attended the Celebrating Richard Schmid Event in 2021

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dubai, England, Faeroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Wales, Zimbabwe

To see more on our past Celebrating Richard Schmid events, visit: RichardSchmidArt.com

GLOBAL CONNECTION —How Richard’s art and teaching impacted artists

Iran

“Richard Schmid was a blessing in this world and his art was an inspiration for so many artists. I believe he brought peace and love and beauty to our lives. ”

Sima Kahaki

Dubai

It was such a pleasure painting online with hundreds of other artists paying tribute to Richard. It is incredible how far Richard’s teachings and influence have reached, and it was an absolute joy to see and hear stories from artists around the world about how Richard impacted their lives and careers in some way…

Matt Ryder

USA

“To me Richard added through his art, personality and teaching exactly what the world and I need most right now: His art reveals his love for life, nature, people, and together with his generosity as a teacher, and as a person, he offers a precious example for us all. So heartwarming to hear others valuing Richard too.”

Caz Scott