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Hollis Williford
As a native Texan, Hollis Williford began his study of art at the University of Texas, Arlington and finished with a degree from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California. Though he had a successful illustration career in California, he left for Denver in 1971 to pursue new avenues of art as well as move closer to the outdoor lifestyle he put on hold during the California years.
An accomplished artist in several mediums, Williford was the featured sculptor at Rendezvous, 1988. When asked by Fred Myers, former Gilcrease Museum Director, how bronzes became one of his main artistic activities, Williford answered, “To make a long story short, when I went the commercial art route I changed courses in the middle of the stream at least three times and sculpture was the last turn. I feel there is freedom as long as you are not locked into one particular medium. It is very critical to maintain your imagination and creativity at any cost, your individuality in other words. That is your most valuable asset. And not give people what they want and what they expect every time.”
Williford's paintings and sculptures grace the collections of institutions, corporations, and international collections. These include the Gilcrease Museum; National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming; Vail Public Library, Colorado; Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont; Denver Art Museum, Colorado; and The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
As a member of the National Academy of Western Art, he was awarded many medals and honors, including the Prix de West Purchase Award in 1980 for Snake Priest, and in 1988, for Welcome Sundown, which was created in monumental form for the entrance of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
The art world lost this great talent in early 2007. In his words, “Art is a journey instead of a destination. The whole effort is a journey, and you are traveling the period of your life – you have never arrived.” Most will disagree with his statement, for Hollis Williford had arrived.
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