Chicago artist Bernard Williams to give Nov. 8 artist talk at MW Gallery

FLINT, Michigan—Chicago-based painter, sculptor, and installation artist Bernard Williams will visit MW Gallery on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at 2 p.m. for an Artist Talk exploring his decades-long creative journey, his evolving practice, and the stories behind his distinctive sculptural and mixed-media works.

Williams’ art explores cultural intersections and shared histories through the use of layered symbols and hybrid forms. His long-running series, Buffalo Chart—one of which is currently on view at MW Gallery—melds imagery drawn from Native American, Hispanic, African, European, Asian, and Arabic traditions to explore identity and connection in a complex world.

“Cultural convergence and expansive worldviews are major themes within my work,” Williams says of his practice. “I seek to insert personal biographical elements along with aspects of mass culture (advertising, fashion, sports, comics, television, and movies). My works attempt to address our connections and disconnections within a turbulent human history.”

The event coincides with MW Gallery’s current exhibition, “This Bitter Earth: Living in Harmony with Nature,” on view through Jan. 24, 2026. The show reflects on humanity’s relationship with the natural world and features works from the Mott-Warsh Collection by artists including Ron Adams, Bisa Butler, Nanette Carter, Nick Cave, Maren Hassinger, Pope.L, Howardena Pindell, and Angelbert Metoyer.

Williams holds a BFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MFA from Northwestern University. His work has appeared in galleries and museums across the U.S. It includes major public commissions such as the Naomi Anderson installation in Michigan City, Indiana (2021), and a large steel sculpture at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at Governors State University (2023).

Attendees can join MW Gallery’s Artist Talk: Bernard Williams on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at 2 p.m. at 815 S. Saginaw St., Flint, Michigan (entrance on E. Court St.). The event is free and open to the public. MW Gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the second Friday of each month until 9 p.m. during Flint ARTWALK.

For more information, call (810) 835-4900 or visit m-wc.org.