Master Woodworker Bob Willis Showcases Art Pieces at Mississippi College

A wood piece created by Bob Willis that will be featured in the showcase at Mississippi College.

Art lovers are invited to see the wonderful creations of master woodworker Bob Willis at Mississippi College this fall.

Works of the longtime Pelahatchie, Mississippi artist can be seen at the university’s Samuel Marshall Gore Art Galleries on the Clinton campus. The art show runs from October 3 through November 25.

“His work is exceptional,” says Gore Galleries Director Randy Jolly. “He has moved the craft of turning wood to an art form. His works are unique sculptural statements.”

Willis uses a combination of exotic woods, texture and form with his immense skills to “make his wood vessels and wall-hangings shine,” Jolly added. “These works are museum quality.”

An artist for more than three decades, Willis became one of the founding members of the Mississippi Craftsmen’s Guild in 1977. Today, the group consists of over 400 professional artisans who promote, market, educate and encourage excellence in regional arts. About 85 percent of the artists are from Mississippi and the remainder come from 17 other states.

With the Craftsman’s Guild, Willis holds the designation of Fellow or the equivalent of Master Craftsman. A craftsman must pass the juroring requirements three times once every three years to achieve this status. Earlier this fall, Willis put on a 45-minute demonstration for Mississippi nurses and healthcare workers in Jackson. At the mid-September event, he carved a broken heart out of a lump of clay.

His works run the gamut from one of a kind home furnishings to the delicate work of hollow vessel turning and beyond with beautiful sculptures and a vivid imagination.

“Each new piece is studied, much as a child studies clouds for forms,” Willis says. “My approach, while intuitive, takes advantages of imperfections and defects. I like to think of the work as archeological artifacts; inspiring thoughts of cultures long past.”

He and his wife, Belinda, are residents of Pelahatchie in Rankin County. The couple lived in Colorado for many years where they ran an art gallery. They moved back home to Pelahatchie a few years ago, but continue to spend their summers in Colorado.

The public is invited to meet Bob Willis at an October 9 reception at the Gore Galleries at 199 Monroe Street in Clinton. The event Thursday is from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The building is located behind the Leland Speed Library on the Mississippi College campus.

Hours at the MC art gallery are from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, call 601-925-7770 or contact Randy Jolly at rjolly@mc.edu.