William Willis (artist)
William Willis (born 1943) is an American abstract painter.
| William Willis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1943 Sheffield, Alabama |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Painting, Drawing, Mixed-Media |
| Movement | Abstract |
Biography
Born in Sheffield, Alabama in 1943, William Willis lives on the Maryland shore and works in Washington, D.C.[1] He is best known for creating paintings and works on paper in muted colors as abstractions of the natural world.[1] The influences of Eastern philosophy and religion began to take hold in Willis's life and artwork beginning in 1979 and impacted his mode of working through the 1980s.[1] In Washington, D.C., Willis exhibited a dozen years of his work at the Phillips Collection in 1989 and also taught at the Corcoran School of Art.[1][2] Willis is represented by Howard Scott Gallery in New York City and Hemphill Fine Arts in Washington, D.C.[3][4]
Education
Willis received his B.A. in studio art and his M.F.A. in painting from the University of South Florida, Tampa.[5] In 2010, the Augusta State University Art Department named Willis a William S. Morris Eminent Scholar in Art, thereby granting him a five-year professorship reserved for artists of international prestige.[2][6]
Recognition
Willis has garnered numerous awards and grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Vermont Studio Center, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, the University of Maryland, and the Maryland State Arts Council.[5]
Art in public collections
- The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
- Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Washington Post Corporation, Washington, D.C.
- Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona
- Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut
- Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky
- University of Maryland Art Gallery, College Park, Maryland
- Dickinson State University, Dickinson, North Dakota
- Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington, Indiana
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C.
- Prudential Financial, Newark, New Jersey
- Best Products, Richmond, Virginia
Solo exhibitions
Early career (1976-1980)
- 1976: Gallery 641, Washington, D.C.
- 1976: The Athenaeum
- 1977: Diane Brown Gallery, Washington, D.C.
- 1979: Diane Brown Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1980s
- 1981: Jack Rasmussen Gallery, Washington, D.C.
- 1981: Bernard Jacobson Gallery, New York, NY
- 1982: I. Irving Feldman Galleries, Southfield, MI
- 1984: Midtown Gallery, Washington, D.C.
- 1985: Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, D.C.
- 1986: Baumgartner Galleries, Washington, D.C.
- 1987: Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
- 1987: Baumgartner Galleries, Washington, D.C.
- 1987: Rosa Esman Gallery, New York, NY
- 1988: Reynolds/Minor Gallery, Richmond, VA
- 1989: Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
1990s
- 1990: Baumgartner Galleries, Washington, D.C.
- 1991: Baumgartner Galleries, Washington, D.C.
- 1991: Guilford College, Greensboro, NC
- 1991: Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- 1992: Baumgartner Galleries, Washington, D.C.
- 1992: Academy Art Museum, Easton, MD
- 1993: Littlejohn/Sternau Gallery, New York, NY
- 1993: Baumgartner Galleries, Washington, D.C.
- 1994: Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
- 1995: M-13 Gallery, New York, NY
- 1996: Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
- 1998: University of Maryland, Arts Program Gallery, College Park, MD
- 1998: M-13 Gallery, New York, NY
2000s
- 2000: Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
- 2001: Howard Scott Gallery, New York, NY
- 2004: Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
- 2004: Howard Scott Gallery, New York, NY
- 2005: Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
- 2012: Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
Notes
- 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Linda. "The Art of William Willis." "Span", August, 1990. Print.
- 1 2 Johnson, Eric. "An eye for art." "Metro Spirit", 2007. Retrieved on 16 August 2010.
- ↑ "Recent paintings and works on paper: William Willis." , Howard Scott Gallery, New York, January, 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- ↑ "William Willis." Washington, D.C., Hemphill Fine Arts
- 1 2 "Faculty Biographies - William Willis." "Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival", 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
- ↑ "Full-Time Art Faculty." , Augusta State University Department of Art, Augusta, GA, 2011. Retrieved on 13 June 2012.
References
- Frankel, David. "William Willis: Howard Scott Gallery." , ArtForum, New York, October 2001. Retrieved on 13 June 2012.
- "Full-Time Art Faculty." , Augusta State University Department of Art, Augusta, GA, 2011. Retrieved on 13 June 2012.
- Moore, Margaret. "On the Cover: William Willis, painter." "Hemisphere", September, 2004. Print.
- Protzman, Ferdinand. "William Willis: Abstract and Real." "The Washington Post", Washington, DC, 12 October 2000. Print.
- "William Willis." , Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont, October 2010. Retrieved on 13 June 2012.
- "William Willis (1943 -)." , AskART, 2012. Retrieved on 13 June 2012.
- "William Willis: Paintings and Drawings." , Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Augusta, GA, 21 October 2011. Retrieved on 13 June 2012.