FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
It is impossible to miss a large, colorful painting on the third-floor landing of the Wimberly Library. An intricate convergence of geometric shapes grabs your attention immediately. For years, Dawn Frood, Collection Development Librarian, has been wondering about the history of the painting and the artist behind it.
Last winter, a visitor noticed the painting and recognized it as a possible early work by the renowned African American painter William T. Williams. With that tip, Frood decided to investigate further and reached out to the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in New York City, which represents Williams and houses many of his works. "As soon as I opened their website and saw his other paintings, I knew it. The use of color and style of his art were very similar to the work we have," Frood said.
Soon the gallery replied with an official confirmation - FAU Libraries does indeed have a 1970s William T. Williams painting. However, the owner, Michael Rosenfeld, did not know how the painting might have made its way to the Florida Atlantic. He suggested the librarians look at the back of the canvas, but since Williams often does not sign his works, there were no clues.
In her research, Frood learned that in the 70s, Williams sometimes used tent canvases because it was difficult to find a large enough canvas for the paintings he had in mind. The 7’5” wide work at FAU Libraries seems to be one of such works.
Frood said that over the years, FAU Libraries had received gifts and donations of art from the local community and university benefactors, and sadly, not every record withstood the test of time.
"While we still don't know how and when the FAU Libraries acquired this William T. Williams painting, we are incredibly grateful to have it in our collections. It is on display on the third floor of the Wimberly Library, and we are happy to have an opportunity to share Williams' art with FAU students, faculty, and staff," said Dawn Frood.
Talented abstract painter William T. Williams has been active since the 1960s and has been exhibited around the world since the 1970s. He is represented in numerous public museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art; the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection; the National Gallery of Art; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; the Menil Collection; Fogg Art Museum, one of the Harvard Art Museums; the Studio Museum in Harlem; the Library of Congress; and the Yale University Art Gallery.
Williams is a recipient of numerous awards, including a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Awards, and a Joan Mitchell Foundation Award.
