Richard J. Watson

{{short description|American artist}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}

{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}

{{Other people |Richard Watson}}

{{Infobox artist

| name = Richard J. Watson

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| birth_date = {{Birth year|1946}}

| birth_place = Badin, North Carolina

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| nationality = American

| education = Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

| field = Painter, printmaker

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| website = {{URL|watsonartforyou.com}}

}}

Richard J. Watson (born 1946) is an American artist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina.{{cite web |title=Richard J Watson |url=https://www.askart.com/artist/Richard_J_Watson/11229836/Richard_J_Watson.aspx |website=AskArt |access-date=19 July 2022}} He attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.{{cite book |last=Valerio |first=William R |title=We speak : black artists in Philadelphia, 1920s–1970s |date=2015 |publisher=Woodmere Art Museum |location=Philadelphia |isbn=9781888008005 |page=227}} In the 1970s, he collaborated with Walter Edmonds to create murals for the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, which was a center of activity for the civil rights movement in North Philadelphia. The church commissioned them to paint murals for the interior. They were requested to portray a combination of Black history and themes from the Bible. They were active in the Church of the Advocate and they donated their time to create the murals. 14 murals were completed from 1973 to 1976. Titles include "Creation", "I Have a Dream", "The Lord smote the firstborn in the land of Egypt" and "God has chosen the weak to confound the strong".{{cite web |title=Church of the Advocate Murals (1973 – 1976) |url=https://www.associationforpublicart.org/artwork/the-church-of-the-advocate-murals/ |publisher=Association for Public Art |access-date=18 July 2022}}
{{cite web |title=Murals |url=http://www.churchoftheadvocate.org/murals.html |publisher=Church of the Advocate |access-date=18 July 2022 }}

Watson's work was included in the 2015 exhibition We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s–1970s at the Woodmere Art Museum.{{cite web |title=We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s|url=https://woodmereartmuseum.org/experience/exhibitions/we-speak-black-artists-in-philadelphia-1920s-1970s-95 |publisher=Woodmere Art Museum |access-date=18 July 2022 }} In 2021, the African American Museum in Philadelphia held an exhibition of his work entitled Portals+Revelations – Richard J. Watson Beyond Realities.{{cite web |title=Opening: Portals+Revelations – Richard J. Watson Beyond Realities |url=https://blackmuseums.org/event/opening-portalsrevelations-richard-j-watson-beyond-realities/ |publisher=Association of African American Museums |access-date=19 July 2022}}
- {{cite web |title=The African American Museum in Philadelphia presents Portals + Revelations: Richard J. Watson Beyond Realities |url=https://www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/the-african-american-museum-in-philadelphia-presents-portals-revelations-richard-j-watson-beyond-realities |website=Broad Street Review |author=Olivia J. B. Baxter |date=18 January 2022 |access-date=19 July 2022 }}

His work is in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts{{cite web |title= Do Lord, Remember Me - Richard J. Watson |url=https://www.pafa.org/museum/collection/item/do-lord-remember-me |publisher=Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |access-date=19 July 2022 |date=28 December 2014}} and the Petrucci Family Foundation.{{cite web |title=Richard Watson |url=https://pffcollection.com/artists/richard-watson/ |publisher=Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art |access-date=19 July 2022}}