Louisville Magazine

MAR 2013

Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.

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L ouisville���s native son, the sculptor William M. Dufy, believes that from an early age his future was set in stone. Near the house in which he was born on 36th Street and Magnolia Avenue sat an empty lot, and as a child he remembers picking up a rock and having a life-changing realization. ���Something went through me,��� he says, ���and I felt that God was speaking and saying that someday I would be using stone to make my own shapes.��� From that moment on his parents found him forever creating, and the Dufys encouraged their child to pursue his art. When William graduated from Shawnee High School, he set out to be a painter and enrolled in the old Louisville School of Art. But sitting down before an easel was not to his liking, and by a twist of fate, his childhood memory of stone came back to grab him. He witnessed a car accident. No one was injured, but the errant sedan had destroyed one of the marble columns of an old bank building. Remembering the stone, he later asked the workmen if the marble was for the taking and hauled the biggest chunks he could carry to his car. With only a screwdriver and a hammer, and the overpowering feeling that he had ���found his destiny,��� Dufy created his frst stonework, Spread Your Wings in the late 1970s. Te sculpture was frst exhibited at what is now Spalding University, and found its way to the pages of the Courier-Journal. William Dufy was now, forever, a sculptor. Since then he has had one-man showings at, among others, the Speed Museum, Ali Center and Idea Festival. His many commissions include the statuettes presented to the 2007-08 recipients of the Governor���s Awards for the Arts. Working in a variety of stone, bronzes and most recently wood, Dufy at frst glance harkens back to African traditions with clean lines and primitive shapes, but if you look harder, you can see infuences of the Impressionist artists that he so admires. Henry Moore, George Seurat and Isamu Noguchi are infuences. Lines are juxtaposed with tactile, rough stipple technique that allows the viewer to see not only the grace of everyday life but also the challenge rooted in the West End. ���When I���m creating a piece, I don���t consciously focus on telling that (West End) story, but I believe it comes out in my work,��� he says. ���Strong, broad-shouldered mothers holding and protecting their babies are a recurring theme ��� because I have seen so many mothers who have to carry the load. Tis is not a condition unique to our community but it is part of our story.��� Married for more than 30 years and the father of two daughters, Dufy has received special commendation for his work by the Jeferson County Public Schools as well as several youth organizations. ���If I���m having any impact at all, I would say it is primarily with the youth that I���ve taught over the years,��� he says. ���I���ve shared my skills with them; encouraged them to always create; taught them the importance of art in society and in having a well-balanced life; demonstrated that there are more career options than just athletics and rap music; and hopefully have served as a good role model.��� His work can be found at the E&S; Gallery (108 S. 10th St.) or wmdufy.com. 3.13 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 10 9

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