The artist

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Hollis Randol Williford (1940-2007) was an American artist known for his remarkable versatility and creative range. He excelled in drawing, sculpting, painting and etching, and his work earned him esteem among collectors and institutions alike. As an artist who taught others about art, he emphasized the necessity of simplicity, and so Hollis Williford – The Crossing at the River consists of a series of stories  to reveal the richness of his life, his struggles, the triumphs he enjoyed, and the lasting beauty and scope of his work.  

Williford won the National Academy of Western Art Prix de West Award in 1980 and 1988 with The Snake Priest and Welcome Sundown, respectively. The massive, 12-foot monument, Welcome Sundown,  stands at the entryway of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Williford's sculpture  can be found in numerous institutional collections, including the Gilcrease Museum, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, Middlebury College, the Whitney Western Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, Duquesne University and Johns Hopkins University. His work is still enjoyed and collected by countless people around the world.

In its 325 pages, Hollis Williford – The Crossing at the River explores the life and work of the artist and the technical and artistic processes he used to create it.  Photo shows Williford working on Welcome Sundown, the monument that now stands at the entryway of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Photo by Barry Smith.