Art in Our Library

Whether in the Library to study, research, or simply relax, our students and faculty experience vibrant art collections that are not only educationally enriching but also aesthetically pleasing. The striking art on display throughout the Library reflects the vision of our Knowledge & Arts Initiative, which is to promote student pride and ownership of the Library, convey the human experience, and inspire student thought and conversations through the visual arts.

Representing a broad spectrum of disciplines, including sculpture, paintings, drawings, and photography, the impressive works are created and loaned by artists from across the country. Programs and tours on the art are offered throughout the year.

Featured Artist Profile: William Anderson

William Anderson is a highly prolific sculptor, printmaker, painter, and photographer. Born in Selma, Alabama, he grew up carving figures from soapstone from a creek near his childhood home and spent a lot of his idle time drawing cartoon characters.

Anderson photographs the rural and urban life throughout the south, becoming serious about photography when he realized the images of his sculpture done by others were not to his liking. He came to understand the intricacies of images and incorporated photography in creating fine art. The result is a huge body of work that spans more than forty years and untold boxes of negatives. He still uses film cameras and is undecided about digital photography.

He is the recipient of many professional awards, the Shuston-Gimbel Award for study in 1961-1962, the Henry Bellamann Foundation Grant for sculpture in 1966 at Instituto Allende, San Miguel, Mexico where he received his MFA degree. His work has been exhibited in major galleries and museums, including, the Wadsworth Antheneum in Hartford, Connecticut, the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC. He also has works in many notable collections including Bodleian Library, (Oxford, England); J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, California); National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC); the Paul Jones Collection (University of Delaware); and the Hampton University Collection, to name a few.