my first queer kiss

Fundraiser to celebrate Pride

🌈 The Arts Center of the Capital Region celebrates Pride Month with David Puck’s mural My First Queer Kiss living on through t-shirts & prints to benefit Cafe Euphoria! 🏳️‍⚧️ $25 tees and $20 art prints available at Cafe Euphoria, located at 225 River St. and at The Arts Center. Full story & Q&A below.

PHOTO: Elizabeth Reiss & Atsushi Akera at Cafe Euphoria

My First Queer Kiss Mural Lives on Through Fundraiser

Troy NY June 6, 2025

As Pride Month is underway, The Arts Center of the Capital Region is keeping the message of a destroyed mural alive through a heartfelt fundraising campaign.

David Puck’s mural, My First Queer Kiss, created in October 2023 for The Arts Center’s Troy Art Block Festival in Church Street Alley, was irreparably damaged earlier this year. The artwork depicted two same-sex individuals sharing a kiss, rendered in vibrant purple hues against a brick wall. Surrounding them were excerpts from real first queer kiss stories collected from the public, including “He was wearing pomegranate chapstick” and “I was worried someone would see us.” Now, the mural’s legacy continues through t-shirts screen-printed by local artist and educator Eugene O’Neil and art prints produced by Troy Cloth & Paper.

Proceeds from the sales will support Cafe Euphoria, a transgender and nonbinary worker-owned restaurant and cafe co-op in downtown Troy dedicated to fostering radical equality. The Arts Center commissioned the t-shirts and prints to preserve the mural’s powerful imagery and raise funds for Troy’s LGBTQ+ community. T-shirts are available for $25, and art prints are priced at $20, both sold at Cafe Euphoria, located at 225 River St., and The Arts Center.

“Cafe Euphoria is our neighbor, ally, and partner in this meaningful project,” said Elizabeth Reiss, executive director of The Arts Center of the Capital Region. “We’re proud to support their mission through this initiative.”

The Arts Center and Cafe Euphoria saw an opportunity not only to preserve a cherished piece of art but also to channel its message into tangible support for a community space that embodies its values.

“Cafe Euphoria is deeply touched by David Puck’s artwork and its celebration of love, which resonates powerfully during Pride Month,” said Atsushi Akera, co-founder and general manager. “We’re honored that this mural’s legacy is helping sustain our cafe and community.”

Puck, a dual U.S./U.K. citizen who splits his time between both countries, is thrilled that his work supports Cafe Euphoria’s mission to provide a safe, visible space for the community.

“I haven’t been to it, but I had a look at it online, and I was like, ‘Yes, that is right up my street,’” Puck said of the cafe, using a British expression meaning my kind of thing. “So I was very into it.”

Seeking a New Site for New Mural

The Arts Center plans to commission a new mural from Puck for Troy, funded by American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) grants from the city. Interested building owners with high-traffic locations who would like to provide a space for the artwork can email elizabeth@artscenteronline.org.

“Troy supports The Arts Center’s vision for public art that celebrates love and inclusion. By investing ARPA funds in a new mural by David Puck, we’re fostering a stronger, more connected community where everyone’s story matters,” said Mayor Carmella Mantello.

Puck, who has created murals for global events like the London Mural Festival and NYC World Pride, designed My First Queer Kiss to promote visibility and empathy. A University of Oxford graduate with a degree in history, specializing in queer history, Puck often collaborates with communities to create inclusive public art.

“In street art and murals and particularly public work, queerness is not very common,” Puck said. “So that’s always been a big motivation of mine—to have visibility in a place where people wouldn’t usually come across that kind of thing.”

That visibility, he explained, allows his art to reach those who might not share his perspective.

“I specifically do public work because I want this work to be in a place where people who don’t agree with it will see it—who don’t usually have the opportunity to see outside of their straight, normal world,” he said. “That they can see it and be like, ‘That’s not so scary.’”

The Art Center’s Troy Art Block, named the best new festival in America by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards in January 2024, transformed the Church Street Alley into the Capital Region’s first open-air gallery with 27 temporary murals.

“Public art, by its nature, is often ephemeral—exposed to the elements, vandalism, or time,” said Elizabeth Reiss, executive director of The Arts Center of the Capital Region. “But we remain committed to bringing art into Troy’s public spaces, creating destinations that inspire and connect our community.”

The timing of the fundraiser and announcement aligns with Pride Month, which began June 1, amplifying the mural’s message of love and acceptance.

“It’s a very difficult time at the moment for people, particularly trans people,” Puck said. “So for me, it’s about promoting communication and understanding, because if we talk about it, then we can get to know each other and we don’t have to live in fear.

Keep scrolling for an interview with David Puck about My First Queer Kiss.

A Conversation with david puck:

The story behind My First Queer Kiss

In October 2023, artist David Puck created My First Queer Kiss for The Arts Center of the Capital Region’s Troy Art Block Festival in Troy’s Church Street Alley. The mural, celebrating queer love through a striking depiction of a kiss and public stories of first queer kisses, was irreparably damaged earlier this year. Its message endures through a Pride Month fundraiser featuring t-shirts screen-printed by local artist Eugene O’Neil and art prints by Troy Cloth & Paper, with proceeds benefiting Cafe Euphoria, a transgender and nonbinary worker-owned cafe in downtown Troy. Below, Troy writer Duncan Crary speaks with Puck, a dual U.S./U.K. citizen and multidisciplinary artist, about the mural’s inspiration, its impact, and the power of public art to foster visibility and compassion.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and readability.

Duncan Crary:

David, I’m sorry your mural was damaged, but I’m excited it will live on in art prints and a t-shirt. What inspired My First Queer Kiss?

David Puck:

The main inspiration in all of my work is that, in street art and public murals, queerness is not very common. And you can see one of the reasons why, because it often gets targeted. So queer visibility has always been a big motivation of mine, visibility in public places outside of queer echo chambers.

And obviously this is an example where one individual has chosen then to target and damage it, but maybe other people who saw it had a different reaction.

So the goal is more visibility and acceptance and compassion towards all people, particularly people who are different, who aren’t usually so seen.

This particular piece is based on two friends of mine who modelled for the reference – Shima and Mehran. I chose a kiss because it’s representative of love and compassion. It’s a universal symbol of love, really. It’s very pure and simple.

Then the writing inside the faces is from a call-out I did online for stories of people’s first queer kiss experience. It was the first time I’ve done a call-out like this. I got so many responses, it was so touching reading all of the stories. I took little sentences from each one, to make a collective collage of lots of different people’s experiences. Some are sad, some are really cute and happy. They cover a whole range of experiences and emotions.

Duncan Crary:

How does My First Queer Kiss connect to your broader work? Was this a new approach for you?

David Puck:

It’s similar in the sense that my style is about taking an abstract element and adding it to realistic portraits. That’s what I like to do.

But it’s also different because I don’t often use text, and I haven’t done a public call-out for stories before. It was an original design and concept just for this location.

I’ve always loved painting portraits. I love psychology and am fascinated by people. Mental health is also very important to me. I’m training as a somatic therapist currently, and I’ve worked in mental health services before as a support worker.

Duncan Crary:

How long did it take to paint My First Queer Kiss in the Church Street Alley, and were other artists there with you at the same time during The Art Block event?

David Puck:

I think painting was a couple days. Oh yes, I do remember now, because I thought at the time that it was maybe at risk of getting tagged over very fast. So the night in between painting, I parked the lift right in front of their faces to make sure that it was blocked. Because I really didn’t want it to get covered before I even had a chance to finish it, because then we wouldn’t even have the photo to use for what’s ended up now being the t-shirts. So yes, it was two days of painting. Then much longer of course for the whole thing – coming up with the concept and design, taking the reference photos, doing the call-out and compiling all the stories.

There was a lot of other artists painting at the same time because it was for Art Block, they were all so nice. I remember one of the artists was so sweet and said to me that they are from Troy, and they are queer as well, and they are just so happy to see that I was doing something so clearly queer and visible. They said that we need more of this in Troy, that it’s really special to see. It was really nice to hear that from them.

Duncan Crary:

You’ve created many other public murals? Why do you value this medium?

David Puck:

Yes I’ve painted loads of murals all over the world. This isn’t the first time that they’ve been specifically targeted with queerphobic tagging either, so sadly I am quite used to it. It only takes one person to destroy.

I value the medium of public murals because I want queer imagery to be in a place where people who aren’t used to it will see it. Those who don’t usually have the opportunity to see outside of their heteronormative world. So that they can see it and hopefully at least some of them see that it’s not so scary. They are just people like us, who love and kiss.

And for the queer people and allies who see it, they will feel supported and seen, just like the other Troy Art Block artist did.

Duncan Crary:

Is there a plan for you to return and create another piece?

David Puck:

I don’t know if it’s confirmed yet, but that’s what they’re hoping to do. I haven’t thought of the design yet because I’m a “don’t count your chickens till they hatch” kind of person. So I’m waiting for the confirmation, and then once we know what the wall is, then we can think of ideas. But for sure it will be something proudly queer again, to make up for this one being lost.

Duncan Crary:

The prints and t-shirt will fundraise for Cafe Euphoria. Did you ever visit Cafe Euphoria while in Troy?

David Puck:

No, I haven’t been to it, it was recommended by Art Block when the fundraising project was created, and I have been back in the UK since. I had a look at it online, and I was like, yes, that is right up my street. So I was very into it

(Note: the expression “up my street” is the British equivalent of “up my alley” meaning my kind of thing or place in this instance.)

Duncan Crary:

Anything else you’d like to add?

David Puck:

The only other thing I would wanna say, and I dunno how eloquent it’s gonna be cus I haven’t planned this out, but it’s just that it’s a very difficult time at the moment for people, and particularly for trans people. There’s a lot of people out there, some of whom will live in Troy, who have really negative ideas and fears about queer people and trans people. So for me, it’s all about promoting communication and understanding, because if we talk about it, then we can get to know each other and no one has to live in fear. Because ultimately everyone is human and they just want to love and be loved and be safe. That’s the general vibe that I feel.

Duncan Crary:

If that’s off the top of your head, that was amazing. Do you think art is a great way to start those conversations, being colorful, interesting, and engaging?

David Puck:

I think so, because art is about expressing ourselves and then being able to express ourselves in a way that’s also beautiful or interesting or challenging. So if we’re open to listening, then I think it can totally promote really interesting conversations, because every piece of art is a piece of the artist’s soul. This was a piece of my soul, you know. So I said I’m used to my murals getting targeted because it happens often, but of course it still hurts to see a piece of my soul be destroyed by someone else. But I would hope that could just lead to more conversations and understanding, which it is, you know, this press release is a conversation. It’s the start of one. So it’s all a developing story. Like life.

Duncan Crary:

That’s excellent. David, thank you so much. I really enjoyed talking with you.

David Puck’s website is: https://davidpuckartist.art

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