Paul William Richelson
Paul William Richelson died September 17, 2020 in Hemet, California.During his career, Paul taught at several colleges and universities across the US. His last two positions were Chief Curator of Art at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI and for the last 27 years of his career, Chief Curator of Collections and for a short time Interim Director at the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile AL. During his time at the Mobile Museum of Art, because of his keen eye and expertise in the field, he was able to build an outstanding collection of decorative arts. Paul retired in 2017 from the Mobile Museum of Art and relocated in retirement to Hemet CA.
Essay:
I came to Yale with a future in science in mind, until I realized that I could never acquire the skills to accomplish a career as a professional chemist. The diversity of Yale allowed me to see another future in history and culture. Spare time spent at the Yale Art Gallery and some art history classes were the experiences I could draw upon when it came time to visualize a future in the arts, first as a college professor and then as a art museum curator.