A Life Long Learner – Williams

Retired Managed Care Executive and Miami Alumna, Chris Williams (‘75) and her husband Sterling moved to Oxford in 2015 to be close to family and for the community. Their son, David and his wife Christine are a Miami Merger with two sons, Collin a Senior at Miami and Owen about to graduate from high school.

Shortly after settling into Oxford, docents Pris Berry and Sarah Michael invited Chris to attend a docent meeting. She thought it sounded like a great opportunity to learn, meet new friends and be involved. Which proved true, as she joined and has been active ever since. Participating as a docent and attending programs has been such an inspiration, she shared. “You learn so much, it’s almost like a graduate degree in art with the many presentations, programs and exhibitions!’ she added. “My favorite part of being a docent has been the bond formed with my peers, we share our joys and sorrows and support each other.”

Roebling Bridge/Cincinnati from Covington

By Chris Williams

Barn Owl (Cincinnati Zoo)

By Chris Willaims

Some of Chris’s favorite MUAM exhibitions include Telling A People’s Story and Coming to America. She recalled witnessing the awe expressed by several school group children who were simply mesmerized by the dresses flowing–as they hung from the ceiling and the powerful stories the dresses told the older guests who better understood the exhibition. Her favorite artwork is Conservatory (Portrait of Frida Kahlo) by Miriam Shapiro, which is in the current exhibition Confronting Greatness.

Above top to bottom: Chris Williams, Roebling Bridge/ Cincinnati from Covington; Barn Owl (Cincinnati Zoo)

Beyond her Art Museum experiences, she has taken courses and tapped into her creative interests by way of writing, painting and photography. She enjoys writing mostly memoirs and also started painting with watercolors and acrylics. “When you are painting or writing something it can help you focus on just that and you can shut out the outside world.”

She and Sterling enjoy taking trips and drives, exploring, then stopping to take photos. Her interest in photography began when they took a course had them taking photos at the Cincinnati Zoo and the Ohio River. In the early 90s, they started genealogy research and have enjoyed discovering their ancestors.

Interested in learning more about becoming an MUAM Docent?

Contact Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education collinc5@miamioh.edu