“Light wasn’t one of the main focuses of my painting until I saw the paintings of Jon Singer Sargent, Sorolla and the Impressionist painters,” Wilson said. “Aside from light, a main theme or interest in my work is the ephemeral nature of life. It is very fleeting.”
Wilson, a Tuscaloosa native, currently resides in Hoosick, New York. His paintings have been featured in museums across the country, in Italy and in the Dominican Republic.
“Drawn to the Light,” displayed from April 25 to July 4, is not Wilson’s first exhibit in Tuscaloosa. His paintings were also displayed in 2000 at the J.R. Leigh Gallery. Although he’s an accomplished artist, Wilson said he still enjoys displaying his work in his hometown.
“It was great – a very nice collection of paintings,” he said. “They were very open to my ?exhibition ideas.”
In addition to the “Drawn to the Light” exhibit, Wilson has several other pieces in the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art.
“We have 21 pieces done by Mr. Wilson in our permanent collection here at the museum,” said museum coordinator William Hawkins. “Working with Mr. Wilson has been a great ?experience.”
As museum coordinator, Hawkins handles curatorial duties, education and tour scheduling for the Tuscaloosa ?Museum of Art.
“We have seen an increase in numbers with visitors and in knowledge of the ?collection as a whole ?throughout the community,” Hawkins said.
After the success of Wilson’s exhibit, Hawkins said the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art plans to feature similar exhibitions in the future.
“We plan to host one a year on varying subject matter and artist,” he said. “We did host the City Schools Superintendent show this past year and plan on doing so in the future, but we are also working on a couple of ?others as well.”
