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Monday, July 14, 2025

Trans Artist and Advocate Paul von Bex completes residency at RB Saltwater Park

Paul von Bex
Website: www.paulvonbex.com
The City’s Public Art Program selected Paul von Bex as the first featured artist of 2025 for the Artist in Residence Program at the Cottage at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, 2021 NW 190th St, Shoreline.

This marks the sixth year for the program, inviting artists to create new work and engage with the public in a scenic and historically rich setting overlooking the Salish Sea.

On Thursday, July 17, 2025 from 6 -8pm there will be a Final Presentation from our Shoreline Public Art 's Artist in Residence, Paul von Bex at the Cottage.

Meet the artist, view their work, and learn more about the Shoreline Artist Residency program.
Describing themselves as a "propagandist for queer liberation, creative exploration, and finding joy in an unjust world," Paul brings a unique perspective shaped by their experiences and a commitment to equitable values. 

Paul identifies as queer, trans, polyamorous, BIPOC, trans-racially adopted, and chronically ill. A believer in art for social justice, Paul feels a calling to resist oppression.

During their residency, which ran from May 29 to July 3, 2025, Paul drew inspiration from the surrounding landscape, plants, people, and wildlife, exploring different mediums of art including but not limited to pen, pastel, acrylic paint, and photography, often before creating digital illustrations.

Paul's key goal was to expand from a heavily-digital practice to a more 'earthbound' medium, with the potential for digital enhancements.

This residency provided a significant opportunity for Paul to further their artistic practice by offering an extended period to focus on work in an inspiring location. 

Having faced limitations due to marginalization and nearly a decade of chronic health struggles, Paul considers themselves a “re-emerging” artist despite extensive education, experience, and previous grants/awards.

Paul von Bex holds degrees in Visual Anthropology and Film & Media Arts from Temple University, as well as an Associate of Arts in Visual Communications from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. 

Their artistic journey includes recognition in video production early on, film showcases at numerous festivals like Black Lily Film & Music Festival, and receiving the Best Animation award at Diamond Screen for their papercut animation. 

Paul is an alum of Point Foundation and a recipient of the 2009 Leeway Foundation Transformation Award. They have also given guest lectures and artist talks, including presentations related to gender and identity.

Paul's work can be found on Instagram.

The Saltwater Park Artist Residency program, now in its sixth year, invites artists to reside at the Cottage at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park for six weeks to create art, engage with the public, and draw inspiration from the park's unique environment. 

Applicants for future years can contact the Shoreline Public Art Program.


8 comments:

  1. How is this funded?

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  2. Better yet what is the amount of the funding?

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  3. Thanks for publishing this. I was on the fence about the upcoming park levy (flier arrived in my mail right after I read this), but will now ne voting "no", since there appears to be more than enough money to burn for frivolous activities.

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    1. Too chicken to leave your name? Bigotry is ugly

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    2. “Too chicken to leave your name” says the commentator names anonymous

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  4. Thank you Shoreline for sponsoring artists of various backgrounds and making art accessible to everyone. The Artist in Residence program is such a gift to the community.

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  5. Anonymous @ 3:38 PM: The flier you received was for the King County Parks levy, not Shoreline. It has no relation to the Shoreline Public Art Program.

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  6. How is the fact that the artist is “polyamorous” even relevant here? Do they have a DEI consultant to suggest labels that they can use?

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