Today we’d like to introduce you to Willie Williams.
Hi Willie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
From childhood, I was always an artist, drawing and painting every day. As I got older, my passion transformed into my purpose and career path, and I knew upon graduating college I needed a plan in place that utilized my art degree. I started my art gallery, Studio 2500 when I was in college. My primary motivation was and is to always to be ahead of the curve and seize the opportunity to create avenues of success for myself and others, both as an artist and businessman. Instead of waiting to graduate college and be “discovered” in my field, I discovered and created my own playing field. The summer leading up to my junior year in college felt to me the perfect time to open my art gallery. Thanks to a move that my family business made into a new industrial warehouse space, my plan unfolded almost instantly. From 2016 to now, my career path as both a gallery owner and artist is steadily flourishing, producing and curating over 200 exhibits and events and traveling with my art to various states in the country.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has had some setbacks and struggles. When I first began my business, I struggled constantly balancing aspects of the business and the art practice. At times one area of my career was more concentrated on than the other and had to play catch-up at times. Decision making – sometimes saying yes to opportunities I should have said no to, and vise versa has sometimes distracted or detoured me from the real mission, or made me miss opportunities. I’ve scheduled exhibits where sizable crowds would show, and other times only two or three people would show. I had to learn to not let that frustrate or discourage me from producing exhibits for the public and pivot amidst the unpredictable outcomes. Most recently, the pandemic created a slow point in the business, and in that scenario, I had to practice patience and remain committed to my practice simultaneously.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My practice as an artist is multi-disciplinary, as I produce sculpture and mixed media paintings. I’m drawn to themes and concepts related to African-American culture and my goal is to create imagery and objects that represent black culture as multifaceted and ever-evolving. I am proud and grateful to say that I work as a full-time artist, which for most artists is not always possible to achieve.
What sets me apart is my specialization in the medium of sculpture. I love working with metals, steel, wood, and even cement. The scale of my sculptures vary drastically from large scale to palm size, with immense detail and intricacy. Believe it or not, sculpture today is not the first thing that comes immediately to mind when art is mentioned. I’ve found that I work in a rare field as a sculptor, but I embrace it and have made profound statements within the medium. I’m proud that I have recently created one of the largest monuments in Birmingham, AL, called the Arc of Justice, which is a 20 ft sculpture that conveys symbolically a collective global pursuit for justice and humanity.
Any big plans?
My plans for the future in a business sense at my gallery is to expand more as a space for artists not just to present their work but to have space to work and develop their artistry. As an artist myself, I plan to travel more with my work around the country, even internationally and obtain higher education in the arts. Most importantly, I plan to consistently give back to the community that I work and live in through the arts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://studio25.gallery/
- Instagram: @studio.twenty.five.00
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studio2500
Image Credits
Carmen Williams Xavier Moore Shuana Stuart
