Elder Gallery
presents

The Art of Doug Williams

The paintings in Elder Gallery’s January exhibition are from the artist’s personal collection and were discovered in his Nashville studio after his death in 2001. Doug Williams was from a prominent Nashville family who encouraged his artistic interests. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in literature and classical music, which led to teaching opportunities in Hawaii, Texas and Florida. He became a classical marimba player, performing with symphony orchestras from Mexico City to Europe. His musical achievements as a performer were world class. He followed his successful concert career with various projects requiring his talents as an impresario.

During the 1970s Williams returned to Nashville as an entrepreneur and opened several art galleries and a framing business. He dedicated nearly twenty years to renovating some of the last remaining Victorian houses in Nashville. He became a presenter of art and artists, and often a patron.

During 1992 Williams was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and quickly became aware that time was not on his side. Encouraged by his sister, Frances Williams Preston, he began painting day and night in a frenzy of activity. Paintings became his legacy of choice. Williams was a person of vision and he became a visionary painter. Just as he was a deep reader and a consummate musician, he painted the mysteries of life and death in his own style. He took seriously the truths he had come to understand, and his paintings were a new path to showing those truths to others.

The subject matter of his paintings is complex. Each was rendered with an emotional, naïve quality. Approximately thirty paintings comprise the exhibition which is entitled “Awakening to Beauty.” The exhibition runs through January 30, 2008.

Scroll down to view partial list of painting in exhibition.