Paul Lyons

A ten-year Providence resident, Paul Lyons moved to the state to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. An occasional-student at RISD, Lyons continued as an artist by drawing comics and playing in a band. In 1996, he moved into an abandoned mill building in Olneyville's Eagle Square that came to be known as Fort Thunder. Fort Thunder became a center for young artists and performers in Providence. Its residents hosted frequent shows and other events. Torn down two years ago for development of the property, the illegal live-space and artist's community has become an icon of the recent Providence arts scene.