William Halsey at his studio in Charleston

"To make a statement about painting implies that a painting is not a statement.  In the world of today, the act of painting and of being a painter is in itself a major statement.  A statement of hope and an act of faith.  It is also a pleasure, a pain, an exercise in futility, an adventure, and a helluva lot of fun."

The Dean of Abstract Art in South Carolina, William Halsey (1915-1999), exhibited nationally while remaining an integral part of the arts in his hometown of Charleston. His legacy continues to be elicited in the South and beyond. For many years, Halsey was represented at Bertha Schaefer Gallery in New York City and included in shows at Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and Chicago Art Institute. Using collage and textural elements in his own distinct style, Halsey's work calls to mind the artistry of fellow Abstract Expressionists: Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning.

Halsey left an indelible mark on Charleston by establishing the Studio Art program at the College of Charleston and serving as assistant professor and artist-in-residence at the College for nearly twenty years. College of Charleston honors his name with the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art - a venue for cutting edge fine art, curated shows, and highlighted student and faculty exhibitions. In 1999 William Halsey was awarded South Carolina's highest award in the arts, the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award for Lifetime achievement. For more information, visit the Halsey Foundation.

University Of South Carolina
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
University of Mexico

Bertha Schaefer Gallery, New York City NY
Domus Gallery, Mexico City
Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield MA
Georgia Museum of Art, Athens GA
Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte NC
Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston SC
Spoleto Festival, Charleston SC
Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville SC
South Carolina State Museum, Columbia SC
Morris Gallery, Columbia, SC
Hampton III Gallery, Greenville SC
Norton Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
Charleston Rennaissance Gallery, Charleson SC
Eva Carter Gallery, Charleston SC

Selected Exhibitions

Baltimore Museum of Fine Art
National Academy of Design
Ford Motor Company
Indiana University
Georgia Museum of Art
Greenville County Museum of Art
Gibbes Museum of Art
South Carolina National Bank
South Carolina State Museum
City of Charleston
First National Bank of South Carolina
First Federal Bank
Container Corporation of America
National Collection of American Art

William Halsey: Mastery of the Modern The Charleston Renaissance Gallery/Ed. Lynne Blackman, Charleston: Hicklin Galleries, 2006

William Halsey Ed. Angela Gray Murphy, Greenville: Greenville County Museum of Art, 1999

The Charleston Renaissance Ed. Lynne Blackman, Spartanburg: Saraland Press, 1998

Looking Back: Art in Savannah 1900 - 1960 Ed. Norma J Roberts, Savannah: Telfair Museum of Art, 1996

Painting in the South: The Post -War Period, 1950 to 1980 Donald B Kuspit, Richmond: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1983

William Halsey: Maya Journal William Halsey, Columbia: The R. L. Bryan Company, 1976

William M Halsey: Retrospective Jack A Morris, Greenville: The Greenville County Museum of Art, 1972

A Travel Sketchbook William Halsey/Corrie McCallum, Columbia: The R. L. Bryan Company, 1971

Contemporary Artists of South Carolina Jack A Morris, Greenville, The Greenville County Museum of Art, 1970