Renowned Painter, Sculptor Dunlap to Present Special Lecture March 29

Renowned painter, sculptor and Mississippi native William Dunlap will visit Hattiesburg and The University of Southern Mississippi for a special lecture at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 29 in Bennett Auditorium.

Dunlap's lecture “Confessions of an Itinerant Painter” is an autobiographical look at where art has taken him during his career, which spans more than four decades. This event is sponsored by the Southern Miss Museum of Art.

Much of Dunlap's artwork is a reflection of the Mississippi landscape and Southern history. His work can be found in art collections ranging from the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson to the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan.

“My lecture is about my travels as an artist,” said Dunlap. “Art is all about travel, travel through the mind and real travel.”

Highly regarded in his field as a distinguished artist, Dunlap has received many awards and fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest Foundation for study and travel in Southeast Asia, Warhol Foundation, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters to name a few.

“He is one of those rare artists who are beloved by a wide public as well as by the elite of the national art scene,” said Dr. Jan Siesling, museum director.

Dunlap is a passionate speaker who lectures at colleges and universities four times a year. He also serves on WETA-TV's cultural round table show, “Around Town” as an arts commentator. Although he has studios and homes in other states, he returns home to Mississippi every spring for artistic inspiration, to visit with old friends and so his daughter can experience his home state.

Immediately following his lecture, Dunlap will be the honored guest at the opening reception for the Department of Art & Design Annual Student Show at 7 p.m. in the Museum of Art. Painter Steve Strickland from Daphne, Ala., will jury the show for fine arts, and Howard Technology Solutions graphic designer Jessica Sherman and Howard Technology Solutions Marketing Manager Sam McAlister for graphic design.

“I'm always interested in the art that's being made around me as every artist should be, so I'm especially looking forward to experiencing the work of these young artists,” said Dunlap.

“William is a great example for our art students as someone who has been successful in the arts, in spite of the difficult times. An example of hope and confidence in his unique originality,” said Siesling.

The Annual Student Show will be on display from March 29-April 14 in the Museum of Art.  Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information on Dunlap's lecture or the Annual Student Show, call 601.266.5200.