BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene

Paul Stanley's interest in creating art is well-documented, starting with the legendary KISS logo that he drafted on his parents' coffee table in the 1970s.

About 12 years ago, the Starchild known for his raspy yowl and spandex-clad hip thrusts returned to painting, specifically portraits and abstracts.

On June 16, Stanley will appear at Wentworth Gallery in Phipps Plaza from 5 to 8 p.m. with an exhibit of his artwork. The collection of mixed-media originals and hand-painted sculptures are also available for acquisition.

In addition to penning KISS classics “Love Gun,” “Hard Luck Woman,” “Detroit Rock City” and, with Gene Simmons, a trove of other rock memories, Stanley, 66, also explored his acting interests by playing the title role in the 1999 Toronto production of “Phantom of the Opera.”

In 2014, Stanley released his autobiography, “Face the Music: A Life Exposed.”

KISS is performing a handful of festivals this summer in Spain.

 Love and Peace Suite, Paul Stanley/2018

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

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Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

 Land of Samurai, Paul Stanley/2018

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

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Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

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Ian Astbury, left, and Billy Duffy of The Cult. (Courtesy of Jay Janner/American-Statesman)

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Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com