In the midst of a gray Washington winter, Harbor History Museum is excited to share the energetic and vibrant paintings of Tacoma artist, William Turner. With work that celebrates color, form, and movement, Turner's artistry will energize viewers with its engaging metaphors and creativity.

Turner's paintings are viewed as part of a rich legacy of West Coast Abstraction. Earning his Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Washington, Turner was inspired by his studies under master colorist Jacob Lawrence, as well as painters Michael Spafford and Alden Mason. Jazz plays an important role in Turner's artistic process as well; the landscape, and interior and figurative metaphors depicted in his work demonstrate expressive and spontaneous improvisation.

Turner's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums from New York to Seattle. A recipient of a Pollock Krasner Foundation grant, his paintings are part of the collections at the Washington State Art Commission, Tacoma Art Museum, Amgen Corporation, and many other private and corporate collections around the country. Moreover, he has shown locally for near 20 years at the Foster/White Gallery in Seattle.

William Turner is represented by Ryan James Fine Arts Gallery in Kirkland, WA. He has taught at numerous institutions in the Puget Sound area, including the Centrum Arts Center, Pratt Fine Arts Center, and Tacoma Community College, and currently resides in Tacoma, with his wife, the poet Josie Emmons Turner.