Article Title: Points on the Way: New Abby Williams Hill Exhibit Opens In Collins Memorial Library
By Isaac Beene
If you only looked at the decorations around the University of Puget Sound, you would think Abby Williams Hill was the most famous artist. The majority of the works and writings of the Tacoma-based landscape painter were donated to the Puget Sound Archives after her death in the mid-20th century. This semester, a new exhibit highlighting a previously underexplored period of Hill’s life is on display in the east reading room at the front of Collins Memorial Library.
The new exhibit displays paintings and artifacts from across a seven-year period later in Hill’s life, from 1924 to 1931, as well as a map documenting her travels. In this time, Hill was traveling across the West with her children and her sick husband. She traveled through national parks, met many interesting people and completed 14 paintings during this time.
Prior to this trip, most of Hill’s work was done on commission from the Northern Pacific Railway. Those works for the railroad have previously been the main paintings analyzed and displayed at the library. Exhibit co-curator Hannah Morrison emphasized that Hill’s later paintings are just as important. “These paintings were just for her. She saw it as her legacy for future generations,” Morrison argued. Morrison compares the paintings newly displayed to deep cuts amongst an artist’s work. “Those paintings were like the hits, but these paintings are just as high quality.”
Hill’s paintings come from a unique perspective. Morrison feels the painter’s identity plays a large role in how the paintings are unique. “I think it brings an alternate perspective. Abby Williams Hill was a woman, and she was not only just a woman, but she was a really strong woman or a strong person.” Morrison specifically cites her relationship with nature, and how she adopted, homeschooled and traveled with her kids as examples of the painter’s strength.
Tiffany MacBain, an English professor at the University of Puget Sound and an expert on Hill’s writings, appreciates the exhibit’s exploration. “The artwork and ephemera from those years is fascinating to examine. It reconstructs an important era in Hill’s life and in U.S. history.”
The Hill collection on campus is a large asset for students interested in studying a variety of topics such as history and art. Amelia Williams (‘28), a student who has worked in the Archives, stresses the important role this collection plays within it. “Abby Hill was this kind of large presence in the archives. Her collection within the archives is large and finally getting to interact with it was cool. Seeing the paintings around the library has been very pretty as well.”
Distinguished Professor of art and art history, Elise Richman, highlights how analyzing Hill’s paintings is used in the art department. “I teach a Landscape Painting class and have worked with Gallery Manager Peter Stanley on installing select paintings and drawings in the Art and Art History Department’s Viewing Lab. This provides students with direct encounters with Abby Williams Hill’s work, allowing them to intimately analyze color relationships, layering processes, and methods of mark making. Additionally, several of my students created copies of her paintings, thereby learning, across more than a century, about her process through her artwork.”
Arts and Humanities Librarian, Megan Smithling, hopes the exhibit can create a welcoming and explorative environment. “We in the library really want for students to feel like this is their space and to be comfortable here and find all those nooks and crannies. If you’re drawn into a space because of the artwork you see there then that is a nice benefit.” Smithling adds that the Hill exhibit is only a small part of the art displayed in the library. “There’s lots of other art in the library that changes and evolves. We are trying to highlight more student art, and we have lots of display cases that change out so you should come see what’s here.”
The exhibit will be up in Collins for at least the next 5 years. If students or community members are interested in diving deeper into the Hill collection or want to see currently undisplayed paintings or artifacts, they can make an appointment with the archives. Morrison emphasizes the importance of preserving and displaying historical artifacts in modern spaces. She said, “In the world of fast-evolving tech and AI, I think that being able to see the primary source and make your own conclusions is really valuable.”