From her upbringing in Dumas, Arkansas, to providing interior design for the President Clinton Foundation building in Little Rock, Susan Williams has consistently made an impression on those around her. Her sculptures of the human form are nothing short of breathtaking.
Tell us about creating the design for the President Clinton Foundation building?
In 2004, I was chosen as one of 2 interior designers to decorate the interior space for the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation building in Little Rock Arkansas. This job included President Clinton’s personal office. There were clear specifications as to what was expected because the structure was a historic building. It was originally the Choctaw railroad station built in 1899. We stuck with traditional style with some transitional elements such as solar shades and contemporary art. The most exciting event during this job was a meeting with President Clinton at his home in Chappaqua New York. There we presented final selections to be approved by the president. I had the honor of watching Hillary’s mother Mrs. Dorothy Rodham make grits as my husband chatted with Hillary in the kitchen. He was very pleased with our final design and was a joy to work for.
What inspires you to create?
There are countless things that inspire me to create. I am inspired by my feelings, dreams, religion, memories, imagination, hope and heritage.
How easy was it for you to transfer your interior design work into sculpture?
It has been very easy for me to transfer interior design work to sculpture because they work very well together. The presence and importance of sculpture in a home or office in too many cases has been unfortunately overlooked. Sculpture creates dramatic dimensions to a room and adds to the principals of design, balance and variety. A space is aesthetically more interesting when it presents with layers of mixed mediums. The transition from interior design to sculpture allows me the freedom to create straight from the heart without the task of meeting the expectations of others.
Early in your career, what were the opportunities that helped you realize your dreams and aspirations?
I must say that the opportunities for me to realize my dreams and aspirations in Arkansas were quite amazing. I grew up in a small town in southeast Arkansas during the 60s and 70s. This was a time of strong racial tension, segregation and desegregation, a source for some of my creative inspiration. My immediate family was relatively large as well as a huge extended family. We were very close and had plenty of nurturing. There were so many artists in my family that I didn’t think until recently that I had a special talent. I realized that my classmates thought that I was pretty good when they began to pass their art assignments to me in the third grade. At the beginning of my tenth grade year, we moved into our new school. Dumas High School to date had the nicest art room design and equipment I have ever seen. My biggest fan and strongest dose of confidence was nurtured by Joy Hudson, that one special art teacher. She saw to it that my work was judged critically and prominently exhibited. She strongly encouraged me to follow my passion. Many of my classmates chose not to, or could not go to college, but because my grandfather and mother were educators, I was expected to go.
Gallery Guichard, 436 E. 47th Street, galleryguichard.com
Figuratively Speaking runs through Oct. 3, 2015
