Henry Faulkner
One of Lexington’s most famous LGBTQ icons, the nationally renowned painter Henry Faulkner, helped plant the seeds of the city’s early gay scene.
Born in rural Kentucky in 1924, Henry came of age during a time when it was not socially acceptable, or safe, to be an “out” gay man. But that did not stop Henry from being his authentic self—exuberant, eccentric, flamboyant—even when it resulted in ridicule, violence, arrests, a vice raid on his home, or stints in psychiatric hospitals.
Henry was a poet and an unabashed performer—on and off stage. But in the late 1950s, it was his vividly hued, fantastical oil paintings of animals, still-life compositions, and outdoor scenes that brought him success and catapulted him into the world of art and literary elites, like Keith Ingerman, James Leo Herlihy, and Tennessee Williams, who would become Henry’s lifelong friends.
Henry put down roots in Lexington in 1956. He also spent time in New York, Los Angeles, Key West, and Europe, living his life as though it too were art, among creatives, collectors, and like-minded bohemians.
In Lexington, in the early days, he roomed for a time with the inimitable James Herndon aka Sweet Evening Breeze. Throughout the ‘60s, Henry was often seen traipsing about town with his beloved goat Alice. And he frequently shared his carnivalesque homes with other kindred free spirits, young protégés like Robert Morgan, and a rotating cast of animals.
As someone with a deeply spiritual connection to nature, Henry believed it was essential to preserve stories, photos, and art to be passed on like precious heirloom crops to future generations. “Save the seeds, children!” he would say. “Save the seeds.”
Henry’s legacy has been documented in "Under The Southern Cross: The Art and Legacy of Henry L. Faulkner." Produced by Jean Donohue of Media Working Group, this groundbreaking film explores Faulkner's profound significance in LGBTQ history, as an openly gay artist in post-World War II America. Watch the trailer below!
Henry is represented throughout many collections in our archive.
