Exhibition salutes late art teacher
The Sawtooth School for Visual Art and the Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County will present “Billy McClain: Decades,” a retrospective of the artwork of the late Billy McClain from May 10 through June 21 in the Eleanor & Egbert Davis Gallery of the Sawtooth, 251 Spruce St.
A reception on June 7 from 5–7 p.m. will be free and open to the public.
A former teacher and program coordinator at the Sawtooth School, McClain died in November 2012. He enjoyed a long and successful career as an artist and had a devoted following in Winston-Salem and throughout the region. He was well-respected for his many contributions to the art community, including his involvement in the development of the Downtown Arts District.
McClain studied at the Maryland Institute, earned his BCA at UNC-Charlotte, and his MFA at UNC-Greensboro. In addition to his graphics coordinator role at the Sawtooth, he held positions at Salem College and High Point University and was a longtime volunteer for Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc.
Later in life, McClain became a yoga practitioner and teacher, reaching a new audience of students. He was an avid gardener and translated his fascination with landscape into many of his drawings and paintings.
