Chuck Baird

Chuck Baird was a Deaf American artist who incorporated signs into his art work. Chuck also helped develop De’VIA. De’VIA is a type of painting that represents the life of a Deaf individual in a hearing world.

Baird was born deaf in Kansas city along with his other three older sisters. Baird and his sisters attended Kansas school for the Deaf in 1967, and during his years in Kansas school for the Deaf he received his art education from his teacher Mrs. Grace Bilger, a renowned watercolorist.

After a few years in Kansas he then attended Gallaudet University. Later in his life, he went to Rochester Institute of Technology where he was given his Bachelor's in studio painting in 1974.

When Baird was done and out of school, he spent his summer days at the National Theater of the Deaf (NTD) painting their sets. But, Chuck Baird’s work was known mostly for his passion for De’VIA.

De’VIA was formed by a group of eight artists including Betty Miller and Paul Johnston. “The disenfranchised genre was based on our deaf experiences that reflected in our artworks that came from our being deaf,” he mentioned in an interview he did.

Mr. Baird wanted to show the world what he saw in his eyes. He spent his whole life sharing with the world his love for the Deaf Community.

Mr. Baird never married, he said he was married to his paint brushes, and all of his artworks were his children.

Sadly, Mr. Chuck Baird passed on February 10th, 2012, in Austin, Texas after fighting a four-year battle with cancer. He was only 64.

One of my favorite quotes from Baird was, "I no longer paint what people would like to see. I paint for myself. It is about my own experience, my love of ASL and pride in our Deaf heritage. I sometimes create works that have no particular relation to the Deaf." The quote shows that he creates his art for himself and his heritage, which has inspired me. I hope it will inspire you too.