The Evolution of an Artist Viewed Through a Series of Mentor Portraits

Corvallis painter, Bill Shumway, will give a talk about being guided along his path in the arts. He remembers very clearly the moment he became aware that he was to be a painter. At eight years old, he went to Mount Holyoke College Museum on a class trip and felt transformed when he saw a large luminist painting by Albert Bierstadt.

At 73, he still considers himself a driven artist, one who is still evolving, experimenting and willing to learn from others. He will bring some of the paintings from his ongoing portrait series of people who shared their creative wisdom. The series has given him the opportunity to research the lives of his subjects more deeply and to understand more clearly their short and long term effects on his own creative growth. Bill views the series as an act of gratitude and appreciation for their gift of a life in the arts.