Richard Washington is a mixed media artist and graphics designer from  St. Louis, Missouri. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in  printmaking at the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design where  he studied under lithographer, William “Bill” McKim. Settling in  Atlanta, Georgia in 1981 Ric worked as a screen printer and painter in  the historic (Herman) McKinley Signs shop and was an apprentice  printmaker under artists, Dick Williams and Ann DerGara at The Odyssey  Studio. He also worked alongside the artist Lee White as a screen  printer for fine art publisher, Graphique DuJour and later worked as a  commercial screen printer and fabricator for signage manufacturer, APCO  Graphics. He enhanced his skills as an artist, photographer, and  environmental graphics designer with Zoo Atlanta where he was the  Curator of Art and Graphics from 1987 - 2000. There, he worked on  award-winning conservation education projects and traveled throughout  the United States and East Africa. He has since taken on management and  teaching assignments at Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta Technical  College, Jesse Draper Boys and Girls Club and at Southwest Arts Center  where he served as Arts Manager and Curator from 2005 - 2011. Currently,  he is a Graphics Designer and Print Specialist for the Fulton County  Schools System. Ric maintains his fine arts practice in mixed-media  painting and printmaking and has established an independent studio at  the ArtsXchange, Southeast Community Cultural Center in East Point, GA.