aGenesis II

Born and raised in Indiana, William (Bill) Majors received his BFA degree from the John Herron Art Institute.  He also studied at the Cleveland School of Art and in Florence, Italy from 1960–1961. He was a member of the historic African American artists’ group Spiral and extensively exhibited in New York during the 1960s before moving to teach in colleges and universities in California (’69-’71) and subsequently in New England (’71-’82).

Majors’ visual themes were often abstract interpretations of the Old Testament, but he had many influences, ranging from masters of Italian Renaissance to his contemporaries, particularly the New York School of abstract painters and sculptors he encountered when he moved to the city in 1962. At other times, he was inspired to interpret contemporary episodes, such as the Civil Rights events taking place in the United States.