William Lester

William Lester Description

WILLIAM LESTER (1927-2007)

Lester moved to Dallas in 1924, where he initiated art studies with his fellow Regionalist Alexandre Hogue (1928) and enrolled at the Dallas Art Institute, studying under Olin Travis and Thomas M. Stell, Jr. Lester worked as a draftsman for the Dallas Power and Light Company under the Contemporary Dallas artist Charles Bowling (1929-32, 1935-36, 1942), and as a staff artist for the Civilian Conservation Corps near Palo Duro Canyon and at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (134-35). He taught at the Dallas Museum of Art before moving to Austin for the remainder of his career. Lester taught at UT until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1972 (chair of art department, 1952-54). After settling in Austin, Lester traveled extensively, painting the Texas coastal region and mountains in the western part of the state. He held brief teaching stints at Sul Ross State College, Alpine, and traveled frequently to Mexico, France, and Italy.

Selected Biographical and Career Highlights

• 1910, Born in Graham, Texas
• 1930-32, Attended the Dallas Art Institute
• 1940-42, Instructor, Dallas Museum of Art
• 1942-72, Instructor, University of Texas at Austin, retired professor emeritus
• 1952-54, Chairman of art department, University of Texas at Austin
• 1949-50, Summer Instructor, Sul Ross State College, Alpine
• 1991, Dies in Austin, Texas

Selected Exhibitions

• 1930-33, 1935, 1937-42, Annual Allied Arts Exhibition, Dallas
• 1932, 1935, 1957, 1978, 1985, Dallas Museum of Art
• 1936, 1938, National Exhibition of American Art, Rockefeller Center, New York
• 1939, New York World’s Fair
• 1940-45, 1947-48, Texas General Exhibition
• 1950, Whitney Museum of American Art
• 1950, Metropolitan Museum of Art
• 1962,1965, 1966, 1968, The University of Texas at Austin
• 1970, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City

Selected Public Collections

• Blanton Museum of Art, Austin
• Dallas Museum of Art
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
• Whitney Museum of American Art