Woodford Reserve X Richard Sullivan

Richard Sullivan is an artist and former professional baseball player with the Atlanta Braves. Born and raised in Louisville, KY, he studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where he received a BFA in Illustration. He had the opportunity to play baseball at SCAD and to continue his interest in art and illustration. In 2008, Richard was drafted by the Braves in the 11th round as a junior and played 6 years of minor league base- ball. He returned to SCAD in 2014 to finish his degree and focus exclusively on his artwork.
His work has been accepted into the permanent collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Yogi Berra Museum and exhibited by the Louisville Slugger Museum and the Kentucky Derby Museum. Over a dozen Major League Baseball players, including Tom Glavine, collect his work. In 2017 and 2021 the Atlanta Braves commissioned Richard to create 18 original watercolor paintings and 20 prints for their new stadium SunTrust Park. The paintings line the corridors of the Champions suite and the Executive Offices. The Atlanta Falcons commissioned Richard to create a portrait of their owner, Arthur Blank, that hangs in the owner’s suite of the new Mercedes Benz Stadium.
In 2019, Richard collaborated with Topps to create 20 paintings for the Momentum Rising card set. This series features bright, young MLB stars. In 2020 and 2021 Woodford Reserve commissioned Richard to create artwork for the Commemorative Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Bottle. His mission as an artist-athlete is to highlight the parallels between sports and art, connecting two seemingly divided worlds that, in reality, require the same sense of dedication, practice, and expertise.
His work has been featured nationally on MiLB.com, Fox Sports, Fox Sports South and numerous magazines including The AJC, Kentucky Monthly, Insider Louisville, The Courier Journal, Louisville Magazine and the Louisville Voice.
ABOUT RICHARD SULLIVAN
FEATURED ARTICLES
WDRB Woodford Reserve Derby Bottle Feature - 2020
SportsKeEda Interview: Woodford Reserve - 2020
SCAD Alumni Spotlight: richard sullivan - 2019
whas free time interview: richard sullivan - 2019
LOUISVILLE NATIVE, EX-BASEBALL PLAYER
TRADES CLEATS FOR PAINTBRUSHES - 2018
Fox Sports South Feature - SunTrust Park - 2017
Fox Sports Spotlight - Art of the game - 2017
Atlanta Journal Constitution - 2017
The Voice Tribune - 2017
Kentucky Monthly - 2017
Insider Louisville - 2017
WDRB News Story - 2017
The Louisville Magazine - 2016
Leo Weekly - 2016
Wave 3 News Story - 2016
Minor League Baseball - 2016
The Voice Tribune - 2015
The Courier Journal - 2015
FEATURED CLIENTS


EXHIBITIONS
2020 & 2021 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Bottle Artist
Richard was commissioned by Brown-Forman to paint the 2020 and 2021 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Bottle. Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. and this bottle will be a collector's item for years to come.






Louisville Slugger Museum
The Louisville Slugger Museum had a special exhibit honoring Craig Biggio's Hall of Fame induction. Richards painting of Craig was exhibited in the museum.
National baseball hall of fame
In 2014, Richard donated a piece featuring the 1967 Braves VS. Cardinals game and it was accepted into The National Baseball Hall of Fame permanent collection. The painting resides in the newly renovated art gallery in Cooperstown, NY.






Atlanta Braves Suntrust Park
In 2017 the Atlanta Braves commissioned Richard to paint 18 original watercolor paintings and create 20 prints for their new stadium SunTrust Park. He created five paintings of each World Series win in the Braves history and one stand alone celebration painting for the 1995 World Series win. There are two paintings hanging in the Braves executive offices. His portrait of longtime Braves president, John Schuerholz, is hanging in his office.
Atlanta Falcons Mercedes Benz Stadium
In 2017, the Atlanta Falcons commissioned Richard to create a portrait of their owner, Arthur Blank, for their new Mercedes Benz Stadium. The 5 x 7 foot painting hangs in the owners suite of the stadium.





Omni Hotel At
Battery Atlanta
Richard worked with the Atlanta Braves and Omni Hotels to create nine paintings for the meeting rooms of the new Omni at the Battery Atlanta. He created paintings of iconic Braves legends for each room.
Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum commissioned Richard to paint two paintings of Charismatic for their 2017 FanFest leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Limited edition posters were created for this special event.




Louisville Slugger Museum
The Louisville Slugger Museum had a special exhibit honoring Craig Biggio's Hall of Fame induction. Richards painting of Craig was exhibited in the museum.
Washington Nationals Dream Foundation Gala
In 2015 the Washington Post commissioned Richard to paint Bryce Harper for the cover of their sports page honoring Bryce's MVP season. The following year, the Washington Nationals purchased the original painting to auction off in their annual Dream Foundation Gala. Bryce signed the painting and it raised $18,000 for charity!


