BHM Spotlight: Ken Wright: 40 Years Of d’Art Center As A Founding Artist

A New Journal and Guide BHM Feature
By Kiandra Quinn 
Development Manager at the D’Art Center

In the setting of his brightly lit studio, d’Art artist Ken Wright is surrounded by canvases alive with color, rhythm, and movement. His abstract works invite interpretation without confusion: layered, expressive, and unmistakably his own.

Reflecting on d’Art Center’s 40th anniversary, Ken pauses, then laughs warmly. “I can’t believe it’s been 40 years,” he says. “Time goes by so quickly.” With his distinct, hearty laugh, Ken’s presence fills any room he enters. In much the same way, his work announces itself immediately. As many in the arts community like to say: nobody paints like Ken Wright.

A nationally noted contemporary abstract painter working primarily in acrylics, Ken describes his artistic intention clearly, “See the movement, let the art speak to you.” 

While his career has brought success and recognition, Ken is quick to acknowledge the difficulty of the journey. “It wasn’t easy,” he says. “My motto has always been to let no one shake your tree or discourage you.”

Ken’s career began in the early 1970s, during a time when working as a professional artist of color came with added barriers. A Richmond, Virginia native and graduate of Norfolk State University, he earned a BFA in graphics and fine art and went on to work full-time at The Virginian-Pilot as a news graphics artist, illustrator, and page designer. Even while working at the paper, Ken remained deeply committed to his studio practice. “I am my best promoter,” he says with a grin.

That confidence was earned through years on the art show circuit, traveling up and down the East Coast, sometimes juggling three shows in a single weekend across different cities.

“I’d be at shows and auctions hyping up my own work,” he recalls. “I’d tell people, ‘You need to buy one of his paintings, he’s incredible.’ I never told them it was me.” On Sunday nights, he’d return from shows and report to work Monday morning at the paper, balancing both worlds with determination.

Ken’s relationship with d’Art Center runs just as deep. Founded in 1986, originally as Dockside Art Review of Tidewater, d’Art grew out of conversations among artists who wanted to create a place where the public could truly connect with working artists.

“I’ve been here since day one,” Ken says. As a board member of the Tidewater Artists Association, he was part of those early discussions about establishing a gallery and studio environment in Norfolk where artists and visitors could interact directly.

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Inspired by a visit to the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Northern Virginia, the group envisioned d’Art as being housed on Norfolk’s waterfront, near what is now the Waterside District. Though those initial plans fell through, the vision endured. From its earliest home on College Place to its current location on Boush Street, Ken has witnessed every evolution of the organization.

Over time, Ken’s career expanded far beyond Hampton Roads. His work now resides in collections across the United States and abroad, including the private collections of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He has also completed commissions for iconic figures such as Eartha Kitt.

For Ken, d’Art’s importance lies in its founding values. “You can go to a museum or a gallery and look at art,” he explains, “but you don’t always know the artist. At d’Art, you get to meet them, talk to them, hear their stories. That connection brings culture to Hampton Roads, it beautifies our community.”

As d’Art Center looks ahead to its next chapter, Ken hopes for broader visibility and growth. “I want more people to know about what we do here,” he says. “There’s room to expand, across Norfolk, across Hampton Roads.”

Forty years on, Ken Wright remains both witness to and architect of d’Art’s legacy, rooted in access, connection, and the enduring power of artists shaping their own future.