| Kolliker, William “Bill” A. |
|
(1905 - 1995)
Place of Birth: Bern Switzerland History: “Born in Bern, Switzerland in 1905, William Kolliker immigrated to the United States to pursue his passion for design in the epicenter of modern culture. He began his advertising and design career in New York City working for such notables as Hearst Publishing, The Associated Press, Cunningham and Walsh, and the Paris & Peart Advertising Agency. At age 14, he spent a year studying art in Paris. After his father’s death, Bill persuaded his mother to sell their home and emigrate to New York City. At age 16 he took a job as office boy in the art department of the Hearst newspaper the New York American while finishing school at the National Academy of Design and learning English. Not quite 17 years old, he moved on to the Baltimore News & American where he started as a staff artist. Two years later he got a better paying job at the New York Evening Graphic, where he stayed for another two years. Having fallen in love with the desert, he moved his family to El Paso, Texas, where he opened and ran a prolific art studio for nearly four decades. "After many years I ran into my very first girlfriend in America. Helen lived in El Paso, Texas. Now she was a widow, and our romance blossomed once again. She would not move to New York and convinced me to join her in El Paso. "We were married, and I moved to El Paso without a job. "I went in to see Dan White in 1955, and was hired as art director for his advertising agency. I was with White & Shuford Advertising for 13 years. Then I became restless and my wife convinced me that I should start painting full time, which is what I really wanted to do. "It wasn’t easy getting started, but with the help from all of the friends that I had made during the years I soon started to earn a comfortable living from my art." Bill was presented the Conquistador Award in 1963, the city of El Paso’s highest honor. He received 15 Awards of Merit from the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, and many more awards too numerous to mention. His legacy of Southwestern and Pre-Columbian art can still be seen in several prominent bank buildings and museums, at the Amistad National Monument in Del Rio, Texas, and in personal collections around the world. He taught at the El Paso Museum of Art and had many students at his studio, including Al Blumenfeld and Hilda Rosenfeld. He is survived by his children, grandchildren and his second wife, Marie. One of Bill’s two daughters is a successful artist in Houston, and the other also writes and paints. His grandson Billy is an accomplished graphic artist.” (Source: www.Kolliker.com) |