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Art Alumnus Gives Back

WILLIAM HALL, BFA 1973, continues to build his legacy of “making art available to Alabama students and citizens,” according to William T. Dooley, director of the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, through donations to the gallery’s Permanent Collection.

Jim Dine, Four Continents, 1991, Etching, drypoint, mechanical abrasion, Gift of William Hall, Permanent Collection of the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art
Jim Dine, Four Continents, 1991, Etching, drypoint, mechanical abrasion, Gift of William and Sara Hall, Permanent Collection of the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art

Dooley described the print by Jim Dine given by Hall enthusiastically: “Its rich surfaces and the content of the work are provocative, a perfect example of Dine’s sensibilities about art and printmaking.” Dine’s Four Continents, a four-panel work in which the internationally known artist has combined etching, drypoint and other techniques, was part of Hall’s personal collection until just last year. In the summer of 2010, Hall gave the print to the [Moody Gallery’s Permanent] Collection, just one of several works he has donated in recent years.

In 2008-2009, Hall gave eight works to the Permanent Collection – seven prints and a work on handmade paper – by several internationally known artists including Pat Steir and April Gornik. Hall, who went on to earn an MFA in printmaking from the University of Texas – Austin, is now Master Printer at Pace Prints in New York, NY, a fine art print publisher and print gallery selling original museum-quality prints by leading artists from the 15th to the 21st century. Dooley writes that the long period of time spent with “artists in the process of making prints offers Hall a chance to work closely with the artist throughout the project. His insight about these artists is unique to his position, and he has a story for each print production.”

Continuing his relationship with the university, this summer, Hall will co-teach a class with colleague and friend AMY PIRKLE, UA MFA Book Arts and adjunct professor of art, at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. The class, titled “Plate & Type Together: Exploring Traditional Techniques,” will combine the traditional printmaking methods of copperplate etching and letterpress printing with metal type.   –reprinted from The Loupe, Spring 2011.

Image caption: Jim Dine, “Four Continents,” 1991, Etching, drypoint, mechanical abrasion, Gift of William Hall, Permanent Collection of the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art

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