"Two Bills"
Watercolor by Bill Clark
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About Bill Clark and Ed Cowley...
First off, that's not Ed in the watercolor on the left...it's Bill (on the left) and another friend, Bill on the right. Just thought we'd put you in the time of reference...
Ed and Bill were both boy infantrymen in World War II, earning six battle stars between them in the European Theater. Ed was a private first class in the 94th Infantry Division, and Bill was the same rank in the 89th Infantry Division.
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After the war, Ed attended the Albright Art School and graduated from Buffalo State College. Bill graduated from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Both eventually received masters degrees - Ed at Columbia, and Bill at Cornell. The parallels picked up after Bill succeeded Ed as Art teacher at Ithaca, New York High School...both suffering under the "cleanliness" regime of Marian Leary, art supervisor, an event which should have merited something similiar to the Combat Infantry Badge both earned in the war!
Ed moved on to become art teacher at the Milne School of the State Universy of New York at Albany and then became chairman of the University's Art Department. Bill, tired of cleaning at Ithaca, took a summer course from Ed at Cornell and then moved on to become a member of the Art Department at State University of New York at Oneonta. Evenutally, Bill went to work for Ed at Albany, in the new campus designed by Edward D. Stone, where he
"The Wall", a 31' x 10' relief in the Campus Center. Bill's memories of those days include the "Bad Design" shows sponsored by Ed and the bean soup on Wednesdays, also sponsored by Ed. Both artists became well known in the Capitol District and exhibited in many shows there and nationally.
Bill accepted a position at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and was sometime chairman of the Art Department, eventually retiring after 27 years of administration baiting. Ed retired in 1987 to his home in Altamont, New York, devoting his time to horseshoe pitching and producing his unique glass pieces and other works. He winters at St. Simon's Island, Georgia, with his wife, Bette. Bill recently moved to Homosassa, Florida, where he spends his time making art and searching (fruitlessly) for models.
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"T H E W A L L"
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