A fresh canvas William Atkinson ‘95 and his art have made their way across the country and around the world. From the mountains of Colorado, to the streets of Los Angeles, to the grand and celebrated galleries of New York City, Milan and Madrid, Atkinson has made his name known in the art world. Now he’s decided to return home to pursue his long term dream: teaching English.
STORY Siddhartha Sinha, Luke Piazza PHOTOS Courtesy William Atkinson
Out on Display Here are some of William Atkinson’s showings and exhibitions around the world: 2009-2014 • Crewest Gallery, Los Angeles, California: Top of the Dome IV • Le Spec Gallery, Los Angeles, CA: Viva Los Angeles and We the People: Art for the Masses • The Site UnScene, Los Angeles, CA: Project Remember: Bring the Troops Home
2015-2020 2021 • Van Gogh Gallery, Madrid, • M.A.D.S., Milan, Italy: Spain: Luxembourg “Love My Body” and International Contemporary “Kromatic @rt” Art Fair • Van Gogh Gallery, Madrid, • Dallas Children’s Advocacy Spain: Paris International Center, Dallas, TX: Art for Contemporary Art Fair Advocacy Auction (Upcoming) • Agora Gallery, New York, • Agora Gallery, New York, NY: “Distant Observations of NY: New York Art Expo Abstraction & Tradition” (Upcoming) • Red Dot Miami, Miami, FL: Art Basel (Upcoming)
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very day, sixth graders walk from classroom to classroom, subject to subject, building to building during an ordinary school day. From biology to foreign language to math, all of their teachers have been working at schools for years. All of them have had a direct path from high school to college to where they are today. All have worked under their real names for their entire career. All except one. For a number of sixth graders this year, they’ll be learning humanities from a former police officer. They’ll be learning how to structure five-paragraph essays from a Marine instructor. They’ll be learning about ancient civilizations from an artist with gallery exhibitions in New York, Madrid and Milan. They’ll be learning from William Atkinson.
ON DISPLAY Many of William Atkinson’s works are available for sale and viewing at Agora Gallery in New York City, including “My Boundary Does Not Move,” pictured here.
From the small galleries and artistic communities in Los Angeles, Atkinson’s art gathered momentum, and he says that his exhibitions are still difficult to come to grips with. “Right now, I'm lucky enough to be represented by a gallery in New York City, a new gallery in Madrid and another gallery in Milan,” Atkinson said. “It's kind of crazy. I pinch myself every day because I know how hard it is to be recognized in any way in the art world. To have a gallery dedicate space to you is such a huge honor.” But 12 years removed from his start in street art, Atkinson says it’s time for him to come back to his roots — come back to Dallas. “This constant of William Atkinson ‘95 education has always Teacher aide been there for me and While most may know William Atkinson ‘95 as a something I love,” former student teacher or a current teacher aide to Atkinson said. “When Thomas S. Adams Master Teaching Chair Rebecca I came back to Dallas, Jenkins, he began his winding journey at West Point, I spoke with [wife] where he studied for two years before finishing Jacqueline, and I was like, his degree at SMU. Following several summers in 'I'd like to teach professionally in a formal academic Colorado working on a ranch, he settled there and setting, so I need to start pursuing that goal.' She served as a police officer in a smaller community to said that was phenomenal.” guarantee that he would have the personal impact If all goes to plan, Atkinson wants to commit the and relationships he was looking for. next 20 to 25 years of his life to teaching, but the first “Being a police officer is absolutely one of the step is completing his Master’s degree in education. most rewarding jobs when done correctly,” Atkinson “Student teaching was the last portion of the said. “It is also a job where you receive immediate masters,” Atkinson said. “For me, there is no higher feedback if you are not doing it correctly. As a honor than teaching at St. Mark's. I absolutely love young officer, there was no bigger compliment than it. It's just the most wonderful honor to be a part of the local community calling 9-1-1 and asking if such an academic lineage that I'm excited for any Officer Atkinson is helping.” opportunity to be there.” Soon after he was recruited to assist the Marine That being said, Atkinson still had reservations. Corps in Los Angeles as an subject matter expert, Twenty-five years after his graduation, he wasn’t instructing Marines on counterinsurgency and sure about his fit in the community, so before he irregular warfare. committed to teaching on campus, Atkinson took on “We conducted classroom training, range a number of jobs on campus, coaching eighth grade training, and real world training,” Atkinson said. football, Middle School wrestling and Middle School “I was not assigned to a particular location but track. was part of a traveling team that went wherever Atkinson says those experiences reinforced we were needed. We also provided support for the feeling that 10600 Preston Rd. was right certain directives, situations, and initiatives. for him. And now, having spent nearly three Teaching Marines as a civilian is an incredibly high quarters teaching classes this year, Atkinson says honor. Marines have a long and storied tradition he appreciates the belief his more-experienced of teaching their own — so colleagues have shown in him. you can imagine it was an “[Cecil H. and Ida Green Each piece should be an interesting environment until Master Teaching Chair Scott] opportunity to push your they got to know us. If we Gonzalez and I did two weeks artistic boundary. If not, you are helped just one Marine feel remotely,” Atkinson said, “and just repeating the same expressive safer, all of those years were then Mr. Gonzalez — out of moment. A blank canvas an honor.” absolute kindness and generosity conveys a sense of challenge and At the same time, – turned over his classes to me and opportunity, no matter how Atkinson also decided to I was doing the full instruction many times you face it. make a name for himself in for the quarter. He would monitor William Atkinson ‘95, the Los Angeles street art through Teams, but it was a huge Sixth grade humanities instructor world nearly ten years ago vote of confidence. It's been such a when local galleries tried to capture the trendy art wonderful learning experience.” form. From Colorado police officer to Los Angeles “There was a huge resurgence of street art in Marine-instructor-by-day-artist-by-night to Dallas L.A. for a whole confluence of reasons,” Atkinson humanities instructor, Atkinson says he’s where he’s said. “One thing people were very good at in the always wanted to be. L.A. art world is capitalizing on things that are Even as his street art gained recognition, even interesting, on trend, really capturing a moment. as galleries and art fairs around the world wanted Galleries were transitioning this art form present in to exhibit his work, even as his name gathered the city into a gallery space.” momentum in the art world, Atkinson says the Originally working under a pseudonym plan was always to move professional art into the without any formal art education, Atkinson said the background and become a teacher. biggest consideration in his transition from street art And he has no regrets. to gallery art and fine art surrounded his identity. “It has absolutely affirmed my choice to “That was an interesting and challenging and dedicate the next 25 years of my life to teaching,” emotional decision to make,” Atkinson said. “To Atkinson said. “Coming back with life experience transition from that and come out of the shadows allows for unique insight as to how special our and say, 'This is me.' I just work under my name school is. Everyone asks me what it is like to teach now, which is a very different experience than at St. Mark’s, and I always say that the boys make it having that shroud of anonymity around it. For me, very easy and enjoyable. I am honored to have any that was a pretty big moment to consider how and if part in the academic legacy of our institution.” and why to do that.”
