Prof. William McKinney
Assistant Professor of Art,Ceramics and Gallery Director
In-person office hours:
Monday & Wedensday 10:30-1:30 am
Tuesday & Thursday 4:20 - 5:20pm
Master of Fine Arts, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Bachelor of Fine Arts, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
William is an artist and educator from Morgantown, West Virginia. He earned his BFA from West Virginia University in 2016 and completed his MFA at The University of Mississippi in 2019. He has served as a resident artist at the Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project in Lake County, California, and as an Adjunct Professor at Mendocino College. From 2022 to 2024, he was the John Hirschi Family Ceramic Resident Artist at Midwestern State University. Currently, William is an Assistant Professor of Art, Ceramics, and Gallery Director at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri.
Artist Statement
My work addresses humanity's impact on nature. The mining of coal and natural gas in my home region of Appalachia has irrevocably damaged the environment. Unfortunately, this destruction in the name of profit is hardly isolated to Appalachia; it is a global problem. The intention of my ceramic sculptures is to express the tension between our earth and industry, with the purpose of prompting the viewer to action.
My use of color, texture, glaze, and pattern convey a sense of both destruction and the resistant force of the beauty of the earth. Drawing from my experience living in the Mountain State of West Virginia, I have forced contrasting imagery together to create tension and beauty within the forms.