Local

Brian Petro dies at 46

20-year retrospective of his work held at the Paper Gallery in Philadelphia

Published

8 years ago

December 14, 2016

Joey DiGuglielmo

Brian Petro

Brian Petro, a long-time D.C.-based artist, died Dec. 2 due to liver and kidney failure related to alcoholism, according to his friend, Mark Guenther. He was 46.

Petro was a native of central Pennsylvania and was born Oct. 1, 1970. He worked in sports medicine for six years before pursuing art full-time, which he did for the last 20-plus years creating multi-media works using ink, paint, old newspapers and more. He credited his style as inspired by the dichotomy of having grown up in a supportive yet rural area and the independence required for urban life, according to a bio he used professionally. He cited global travel and urban exploration as inspirations for his artistic aesthetic.

His work was shown in galleries in New York, Hawaii, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Washington, Rehoboth Beach, Del., and more. His clients included Absolut Vodka, which commissioned an ad used in Dupont Circle; the Ritz Carlton Hotels; Saks Fifth Avenue; IBM, which commissioned a 20-foot mural; the Library of Congress and others.

Petro was gay and had been in a long-term relationship with Ricardo Zapata that ended around 2011, though they remained friends. He is survived by long-time friends David Keuler, Mark Guenther and others. Petro moved to Washington in 2000. He lived in New York from 2008-2011 after which he returned to Washington.

A 20-year retrospective of his work was held at the Paper Gallery in Philadelphia, the first professional gallery to exhibit his work.

“Brian set the example of what it means to be a good human,” Guenther said. “He loved unconditionally and accepted people for who they were, no matter what. For me, he defined what it means to be a friend simply by being the example. He was one of the most creative, kind and generous people that I have ever met and I consider it one of the greatest gifts of my life to have had the privilege to call him my best friend.”

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 4:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ (945 G St., N.W.). After the service, Petro’s art will be for sale at a reception. Festive attire as one would wear to an art opening is requested.

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Photos

PHOTOS: WorldPride Street Festival and Closing Concert

Doechii, Khalid among performers

Published

5 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Michael Key

Doechii performs at the WorldPride Closing Concert on Sunday, June 8. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

WorldPride 2025 concluded with the WorldPride Street Festival and Closing Concert held along Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. on Sunday, June 8. Performers on the main stage included Doechii, Khalid, Courtney Act, Parker Matthews, 2AM Ricky, Suzie Toot, MkX and Brooke Eden.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Baltimore

Baltimore Trans Pride to take place Saturday

Baltimore Safe Haven hosts annual event

Published

8 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Daniela White

Baltimore Trans Pride in 2022. Baltimore Safe Haven's annual event will take place on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Linus Berggren)

Celebrating the transgender community, Baltimore Safe Haven, an organization committed to empowering LGBTQ individuals in Baltimore City, plans to host their fourth annual Baltimore Trans Pride on Saturday.

Instead of the usual parade and march, this year’s Trans Pride will be a block party on Charles Street and between 21st and 22nd Streets. The event will start at 1 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and last until 10 p.m.

Community members can go on guided tours, enjoy refreshments by local vendors, listen to presenters, and watch performances by special guests.

Sukihana, the event’s headliner, plans to take to the stage to entertain the crowd, along with a variety of local performers, according to Melissa Deveraux, Baltimore Safe Haven’s executive assistant to Executive Director Iya Dammons.

“Some (are) prominently known, some (are) just making a name for themselves,” Deveraux said. Iya is always making sure that community talent is showcased at all of our functions.”

In company with Pride on Saturday, Baltimore Safe Haven will be opening its new building on Friday from 1-4 p.m.

“That is sort of going to be the prelude to pride,” Lau said. “Thanks to Sen. Mary Washington and the Weinberg Foundation, we were able to purchase the building outright, and it’s going to be a community hub of administrative buildings and 12-bedroom apartments.”

Renee Lau, administrative assistant for special projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, said the planning process for Baltimore Trans Pride began in January, and putting it all together was a collaboration of multiple city agencies and organizations.

“Safe Haven is an LGBT community organization, but we service the entire community, and that’s the message we try to spread,” Lau said. “We’re not just here for the LGBT community. We’re here to spread goodwill and offer harm reduction and housing to the entire community.”

Lau said the organization’s biggest goal for the event is to gain exposure.

“(We want) to let and let people know who we are and what our community is about,” she said. “Right now, because of what’s happening in DC, there’s a lot of bad untruths going on, and the total thing is bringing out the truth.”

Deveraux said having a place of inclusivity, acceptance, and togetherness is important in today’s political climate and the current administration.

“This event will have people seeing the strength and resilience of the transgender community, showing that no matter what we are going through, we still show up,” Deveraux said. “We are here, we will not be erased.”