Rick Paulus

Call Me Ishmael. A calligrapher considers Moby-Dick

Rick Paulus 

Exhibit dates: August 22 - September 27, 2026

Opening Reception: August 22  3-5pm

Rick Paulus employ’s a broad range of calligraphic techniques, styles, and media, as he interprets Herman Mel-

ville’s concerns of race, class, capitalism, sexuality, and immigration, along with colorful words on adventure,

ships, and the sea.

Statement:

“In 2024, a collection of experiences, life-long interests, and long-held aspirations converged on me as I found

myself living across the Acushnet River from New Bedford, once the world’s most prosperous whaling city. My

love for the sea, my appreciation of quotations about the sea, and my proximity to New Bedford inspired me to

revisit a collection of quotes by Herman Melville I had amassed over the years. As I read these quotes at the age

of 64, I understood them in ways that I had not considered as a younger man. I understood more deeply how

deftly Herman Melville wove his commentary on issues of the day into the brilliantly-told story of Ishmael’s voy-

age on the Pequod, and all that that entails.”

Biography:

Rick Paulus first picked up a calligraphy pen when he was eight years old, and he has not let go since. As a young

man, he apprenticed for several years at the legendary Tolley Studios, in Washington, DC, before becoming the

engrosser for the US State Department. In 1998, he was appointed chief calligrapher of the White House, where

he remained for two presidents until, in 2006, he answered the call of the wild and left Washington, DC to explore

new adventures in nature and art. Today, in addition to calligraphic explorations in his studio on the shores of

Buzzards Bay, Rick enjoys sailing and kayaking the waters of southern New England at every opportunity.