Free exhibit features bronze sculptures; also pencil, oils and etchings
(Lewisville) Due to strong attendance since it opened in late September, “The Art of the American West,” a retrospective of the works of noted artist Hollis R. Williford, has been extended through Dec. 17 in the Gallery at MCL Grand in Lewisville. The show had been scheduled to close the weekend of Nov. 4.
The gallery is located inside the Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles Street, in the heart of historic Old Town Lewisville. Admission is free. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m. To schedule group visits during other hours, call 072-219-8446.
The exhibit, assembled by Sculptureworks, focuses on bronze sculpture pieces but also includes some of Williford’s works in other media, including pencil, oils and etchings.
“Hollis Williford was one of the preeminent Western artists of his generation, possibly of any generation,” said MCL Grand manager Jim Wear. “We are extremely fortunate to be able to bring this exhibit to Lewisville, and now to extend its stay by another six weeks. It is a beautiful, nationally significant show right here in Old Town Lewisville.”
Born into a farming family in north central Texas in 1940, Williford began sculpting on 10-cent bars of Ivory soap. He studied at the University of Texas at Arlington, North Texas State University and Art Center College of Art & Design in Los Angeles. Williford won the National Academy of Western Art’s gold medal and its Prix de West Purchase Award in 1980, and won two more gold medals in 1986 for his sculpture and drawings of an Eskimo pursuing a caribou herd by kayak. That winning piece of bronze sculpture and the winning sketch both are included in the Lewisville exhibit.
“I’m celebrating living forms in motion,” Williford said prior to his death in 2007. “The final piece must reflect design, mass, kinetics and flow. I push my pieces to the limit of thrust. A lot of my subjects feature such dynamic action, but it’s even harder to achieve subtle, graceful motion.”
Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater opened in January. The 40,000-square-foot facility features a 296-seat proscenium theater, black box theater, dance recital hall, art gallery, five art classrooms and a large courtyard. Medical Center of Lewisville reached a multi-year agreement with the city last year for naming rights at the center.
To reach the MCL Grand from Interstate 35E, take exit 452 and proceed east on Main Street to Charles Street. MCL Grand will be on the left. Free public parking is available along Main and Church streets, or at Lewisville City Hall across Church Street from the center. Parking is not allowed in the grass lot across Church Street from the center.
For details about upcoming events, or rental information for the facility, visit mclgrand.com or call 972-219-8446.
Submitted by James Kunke, City of Lewisville.
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