Gregory Burns, MFA, is an American athlete, painter, author, motivational speaker and of Art of the Olympians. As a competitive swimmer, Burns represented the USA in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Paralympic Games, winning five medals; he has broken five world records and numerous American records. As a contemporary artist, his paintings have been shown in dozens of solo exhibitions plus dozens of group exhibitions in at least sixteen countries, and Burns has taught in thirty Artist-in-Residence programs around the globe. He is the recipient of the United States Sports Academy’s 2016 Sport Artist of the Year award,. As an author, Burns has published three books in English and Mandarin. As a motivational speaker, Burns has spoken to many audiences with a wide range of interests such as business, culture, and international relations.
Biography
Gregory Burns was born in Washington, DC, in 1957. As his father served in the diplomatic corps, he would spend much of his childhood abroad. He contracted polio in Jerusalem in 1958, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. At age three, he took to the water to learn to swim. At age six, he began painting lessons while living in Paris. His early schooling took place in France, Germany, Maryland, and the Netherlands. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a minor in Fine Art from University of California, Santa Barbara. As a competitive swimmer, Burns represented the USA in the 1992, 1996, and 2000Paralympic Games, winning two gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal. He broke five world records in paralympic swimming and numerous national records. His athletic career has continued with endurance sporting events; Burns completed the 2006 and the in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Burns has also taken up sit-down snow skiing. As a contemporary artist, Gregory Burns has been described as an abstract impressionist. Burns conducted postgraduate studies at Cabrillo College, near Santa Cruz, California, studying commercial and fine art, Chung Da University/National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan, studying Chinese painting & calligraphy and history, and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, earning a Master of Fine Art in Painting. His paintings have been shown in dozens of solo exhibitions plus dozens of group exhibitions in at least sixteen countries. Burns has taught in thirty Artist-in-Residence programs around the globe. He is the recipient of the United States Sports Academy’s 2016 Sport Artist of the Year award. As an author, Burns has published three books: Painted Journey and The Art of Mindfulness in English, and Color Your Life in Mandarin. As a motivational speaker, Burns topics include the following:
maximizing personal achievement beyond limitations
going beyond self-imposed limitations
adapting and making the most of one's assets
balancing work and personal life
persevering through uncertainty
developing passion
developing leadership
embracing disability and diversity
Burns also conducts arts-based, team-building, and creativity workshops.
