Exhibit of the art of William Dunlap Opening Friday at the Museum

Artist William Dunlap has a long history of exceptional art work throughout the south.  His work will open at the Union County Heritage Museum on Friday, September 10, 2021, 6 – 8 p.m.

“We are very excited to feature the work of William Dunlap in New Albany.  He is one of the south’s premier artists with themes that are distinctly southern in nature.” said Museum Director, Jill Smith.

Dunlap’s description of his work is “Excavations of Southern Life”, and what his paintings portray are just that.

Familiar scenes with Walker Hounds, vast landscape, deer, Dunlap’s works are a journey that is familiar to southerners, and very compelling to those who are not.

The artist is most recently known for his dog series of paintings, with allusions to Mississippi history and rich with vibrant colors.  He talks about his use of the hound as a symbol in his works.  “…were I to nominate a contender for Professor  (Ellsworth) Woodward’s Southern Symbol Sweepstakes, I don’t think we could possibly do better that to elevate the ever-present  ubiquitous, obedient, intelligent, loyal, devoted, dilatory , lazy, noble, faithful , libido-driven, sly, sneaky, benign, slobbering, dangerous, mangy, flea-bitten, rabies carrying , chicken-killing, car-chasing , egg sucking Southern Dog..”  That about sums it up for southern hound descriptions.   Viewers can see the allegory of the south with  scenes of  dog, deer, fish and more in his works.

A Mississippi native, he was born in Houston and grew in Mathiston.  His father died when Dunlap was a young child and after his mother remarried, he moved with his family and graduated from Morton High School.  Dunlap, who creative is many ways, is a musician and played not only in the high school band, and college and as a professional musician.  His interest in art matured when as a graduate student at Ole Miss he ran the campus foundry, creating sculpture in bronze and aluminum.

Through the loss of his grandfather, Dunlap, using old family photos, began a family portrait series of artworks in etchings, prints, oils, watercolors and drawings in an anonymous way to reflect everyone family, he described in the book “Dunlap” .

He taught himself to paint.  He had taken a few courses, he said,  and in 1969, painting became his artistic interest .  It was about this time that he left his teaching job at Hinds Junior College and moved to North Carolina to teach at Appalachian State University.  His work began to incorporate a sense of place.   While there he explored his sense of the past through his Scots Irish roots.  “From here the Scots-Irish migrated to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.”  While in North Carolina, he was surrounded by Mississippi coworkers who were also artists.

The works on exhibit reflect different aspects of southern life.  The exhibit is made possible by  the museum’s Community Partners and a grant from the Mississippi Art Commission.  It will end November 13, 2021.  The museum is located at 114 Cleveland St., New Albany. Call 662-538-0014 for information.

Jill Smith, Director
Union County Heritage Museum (http://ucheritagemuseum.com/)
114 Cleveland Street
New Albany,MS 38652