Bio

                                                                        Artist
                                             William M. McClanahan, nws
William began his formal studies receiving a bachelor’s degree, BSE, from Arkansas State University and his graduate degree, MFA, from the Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Twenty of his earlier years, he was an instructor of art from the secondary levels of education to under graduate and graduate levels. Also, during this period he received his signature membership from the National Watercolor Society and the Mid-Southern Watercolor Society. His work has taken many avenues of techniques and media. Beginning as an oil painter, then on to develop skills in acrylics, watercolors, gouache,  and in the past ten years returning to oils. Also, to his credit the production of a series of etchings, copper enameling, and sculpture.
Winning top awards in exhibitions in and around the United States and Mexico, William has been accepted in exhibits such as the National Wildlife Federation, the Annual Delta Exhibition at the AR Arts Center, Mid-Southern Watercolor Exhibition, the Arkansas Artist Registry’s Exhibition, and Small Works on Paper, 2008 in which his entry received a purchase award and was selected to be used as the poster for the exhibit and travel exhibit, all in his native Arkansas. He also exhibited at the Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Old Forge, N.Y.; the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; the Bluegrass Painting Exhibition, Louisville, Kentucky; the Terrance Gallery, New York City, N.Y.; the National Watercolor Society, Los Angeles, CA; the Watercolor Art Society Exhibition, Houston, TX; the Texas Fine Arts Exhibition, Austin, TX; and was one of three Americans accepted in the “Lo Mejor de Color, Agua, y Papel” exhibition sponsored by Sun Chemical corporation of Japan (the exhibit toured Mexico, Northern Europe, and Japan for a year). A recent undertaking was whereby a series of my pre-Hispanic Mayan paintings were used to illustrate the book “Ohne Spuren In Der Nacht” by Stefanie Tutepastell which was published in German and released in 2005. It has been released in Spanish and French.  Also, to his credit articles and work in newspapers and magazines such as Art in America, Viaje, Arkansas Gazette, the Mexico City News, and 501 Life.
“San Miguel  de Allende Thrives as Art Center” by John Maxim, art critic, Mexico City, the News “…At the Galeria San Miguel… , I saw, among the works of many artists of note, the accomplished watercolors of William M. McClanahan, a good draftsman, who succeeds in making the tonalities of his medium possess the textural strengths of oil or tempera paints. His compositionally complex works are characterized by homogeneous figures embellished by baroque and filigreed forms and objects. His “Pyramid of Palenque” in a different mode catches the lushly and foreboding sylvan beauty of his subject. McClanahan’s works are imaginatively conceived and well executed.”
He was selected for the State Department to be one of the exhibiting artists in the Art in Embassies Exhibition at the United States Embassy in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, by Ambassador Alan W. Eastham during 2008-09. From this honor his represented gallery, Galeria Atenea, in San Miguel de Allende, Gto. Mexico, produced a special retrospective exhibition of his work as well special press coverage by J. Zimolzak (Atencion, Friday, July 3, 2009), titled: William McClanahan: visual diplomat. Also, more works were selected to be on exhibit at the American Embassy in Yaounde, Republic of Cameroon by Ambassador Robert P. Jackson from November, 2010 until 2013 and again in Cameroon from 2013 until 2017 under Ambassador Michael Hoza.
Also, most recently (2016-17),was a commissioned work for the J.B. Hunt corporate office in northwest Arkansas, the new Carti Cancer Center, Little Rock, AR, and a work selected for the board room at the new Little Rock Tech Park. These three were made possible by Art on the Green Gallery.
He is currently represented by galleries: the Galeria Atenea, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico,(1-210-587-7755), where his has shown since 1988, and the Art on the Green Gallery (2013-2018), Conway, Arkansas, after being represented by the Heights Gallery since returning to the states until the retirement of said gallery.
Contact: makyliz@gmail.com