William Willis (born 1943) is an American abstract painter.

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Biography

Willis was born in 1943 in Sheffield, Alabama. He lives on the coast of Maryland, and works in Washington, D.C.[1] He usually makes paintings and works on paper in muted colors as abstractions of the natural world.[1] Eastern philosophy and religion influenced his work in 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]

Education

Willis received a BA in studio art and an MFA in painting from the University of South Florida, Tampa.[3] In 2010 he was appointed to a five-year professorship as William S. Morris Eminent Scholar in Art at Augusta State University.[2][4]

Recognition

He has received awards and grants from organizations including 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.[3]

Notes

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.