Bill Hutson, also known as William R. Hutson, (September 6, 1936 – September 21, 2022) was an African-American abstract fine artist, specializing in painting and collage, active since the early 1960s.^[1] Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hutson was active as a painter until his death, working in large format because he became legally blind due to glaucoma.^[2]

Hutson was born in San Marcos, Texas, on September 6, 1936.^[1] His father, Floyd Hutson, was a musician, who died when Hutson was four years old. Hutson's mother was a custodian, and she died several years after his father, leaving Hutson and his siblings to live with relatives. Hutson drew throughout his childhood, and took a correspondence course in drawing, but was not aware of art as a career until his late teens.^[3] He died in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on September 21, 2022.^[4]

Hutson completed his high school education in San Marcos, Texas, before enlisting in the United States Air Force.^[5] While serving, he took a drawing course at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque from 1956 to 1957.^[5] He additionally studied art at Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, and the San Francisco Academy of Art in the late 1950s and early 1960s.^[1]

In addition to his studies at several colleges and universities, Hutson also completed an apprenticeship with the artist Frank N. Ashley from 1960 to 1962.^[6]

From 1963 to 1970, Hutson traveled extensively throughout Europe, visiting cities such as Rome, Paris, London, and Amsterdam. During this time, Hutson's art was exhibited throughout the continent, and as a result, his art resides in many European collections.^[3]

In the years following his European travels, Hutson worked a variety of positions, both in museums and academia, including:

• 1974-1976: Graphic Arts Advisor, Audio Visual Research Division, The National Museum of Art, Lagos, Nigeria
• 1979-1983: Adjunct Lecturer, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY
• 1984-1987: Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
• 1989: Visiting Artist/Instructor, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
• 1989-2010: Associate Art Professor, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
• 2005-2022: Jennie Brown Cook and Betsy Hess Cook Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA^[6]

Hutson's art has been exhibited internationally, in both group and solo exhibitions since 1964.^[1] In 2020, Hutson's art was featured in a solo exhibition, titled Bill Hutson: Selections from the Phillips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College, Pennsylvania at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg, PA.^[7] In 2021, Hutson's art was featured in a solo exhibition at Texas State Galleries in his hometown of San Marcos, TX, as well as a group exhibition at The Art Students League in New York, NY.^[6]

Notably, in 2004, Hutson curated an exhibition for the Phillips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College, titled Something To Look Forward To.^[8] Featuring work by acclaimed artists Howardena Pindell, Alvin Loving, Edward Clark, and Sam Gilliam, among others, the exhibition celebrated the art of selected African-American artists over the age of 60.^[9]

Hutson received several awards and public recognition throughout his career. In 1972, he received the Cassandra Foundation Award.^[6] In 1974, he was granted a fellowship through the National Endowment for the Arts in the amount of $7500.^[10] In 1980, Hutson received recognition through the Creative Artists Public Service Program (CAPS) in New York, NY.^[6]

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (June 2022)

Hutson's art has been collected by museums and private collectors all over the world. His art is held at:

• Editions Georges Visat, Paris, France
• Brandywine Graphic Workshop, Philadelphia, PA
• The Arco Collection, Philadelphia, PA
• Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH
• Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY
• James E. Lewis Museum of Art, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
• Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
• Boysmans-Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• National Museum of Southern Australia, Adelaide, Australia
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
• National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba
• Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, New York, NY
• Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH
• Petrucci Family Foundation Collection
• Peter Stuyvesant Collection
• Roberto Matta-Echaurren Collection
• The Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA

Hutson became involved with Franklin & Marshall College in 1989, when he joined the faculty. He taught in the art department from 1989 to 1999.^[7] In 2010, Hutson donated a collection of his art and his personal library and papers, including substantial archival materials, to the college.^[5] The collection is shared by the Phillips Museum of Art and the Franklin & Marshall College Library. Hutson was the Jennie Brown Cook & Betsy Hess Cook Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at the college, a position he had held since 2005.^[11]