Artist. Advocate. Leader.

Patric Stillman is a contemporary figurative painter whose work explores queer identity, personal legacy and cultural storytelling. For Stillman, painting is an act of preservation holding narratives that might otherwise be erased. Shaped by lived experience, loss, resilience and reflection, his work transforms memory into meaning.

An early breakthrough series, Brotherhood Tarot, established his exploration of queer archetype and intimacy. His practice continues to evolve with a dedication towards creating Legacy artworks examining identity, childhood and the memories we carry through adulthood.

In 2014, Stillman founded The Studio Door, extending his studio philosophy into community. What began as a gallery has become a vital contemporary art space in San Diego’s LGBTQ Cultural District , grounded in the belief of community engagement and B2B creativity.

His work is held in permanent institutional collections and in private collections across the United States and internationally.

Stillman is also host of Beyond Gallery Walls and writes a recurring arts column for The WORD San Diego. He is also a member of National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Tourism Authority, San Diego Equality Business Association and Pride Point Network.

He lives and works in San Diego with his husband.

BIO

Pride and Protest

Permanent Collection of the San Diego History Center

Original Pride

Permanent Collection of North County LGBTQ Resource Center

My work is grounded in the layered realities of my personal existence, where identity, spirituality, sexuality, and history intertwine. As a gay man in his sixth decade — shaped by both struggle and progress — I paint to make visible what is not always easily seen.

Each figure within my body of work carries lived experience: what we remember, what we carry, and how we choose to stand in the world. Through paint, I explore our connection to a shared past and consider what I have to offer the generations coming up behind me.

Legacy matters to me — not as ego, but as contribution. I want the work to hold space for LGBTQ history and pride, to honor ancestry, and to affirm the complexity of self-expression. I reveal the truths I’ve witnessed and preserve them so they may enter future conversations.

My studio practice extends into community, business, and cultural life. I believe art and creativity tear down the walls that separate us. There is always room for art.

If the work succeeds, it expands empathy and offers hope for my people.

STATEMENT

May 9, 2026

Patric Stillman has been recognized by the City of San Diego with a Certificate of Mayoral Recognition honoring his artistic excellence and lasting contributions to the cultural life of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community.

Presented on behalf of the people of the City of San Diego, the recognition acknowledges Stillman’s sustained dedication as an LGBTQ+ artist and his meaningful impact on the region’s creative landscape through decades of artistic practice, cultural leadership, and community engagement.

For more than a decade, through The Studio Door in Hillcrest, Stillman has championed contemporary art, elevated LGBTQ+ voices and helped shape one of San Diego’s most visible and enduring independent arts communities.

CITY OF SAN DIEGO

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Selected Recognition

  • Founder, The Studio Door (est. 2014)

  • Larry T. Baza Arts & Culture Award Recipient

  • Mission Fed Artwalk Artie Award Recipient

  • Nicky Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Recipient

  • Hillcrest Hero with Neighborhood Street Banners

  • Vice Chair, SDTA Tourism Accelerator Alumni Committee

  • Columnist, The Word on Art

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