Local artist William (Bill) Simpson has had one of his charcoal drawings accepted into the permanent collection at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. The piece, Fishing with Nick, was a visitor favorite during the 2022 Juried Members Show at the museum, so much so that Simpson was invited to return it and three additional drawings in December 2023 as part of a group show titled Connecticut Artists Depict Trees and Forests.
Simpson notes that most museums depend on donations of work by contemporary working artists to enhance their collections, and most artists are grateful to the museums for being included in solo or group shows. “Like myself, it is considered a n honor and a confirmation of the work’s value. I’m very proud to have a piece of mine in the Mattatuck’s collection.” He thanks Chief Curator Keffie Feldman, Collections Manager Wayne Eldred and Museum Director Bob Burns for their interest in and support of his work and that of other emerging artists.
Fishing with Nick has deep emotional context for Simpson that began as the water he was drawing began to move up into the trees. Although not his intention, it began to look like a swamp, and his mind filled with memories of one of his favorite short stories, Big Two-hearted River, one of a series written by Ernest Hemingway in 1925 based on Hemingway’s experiences growing up on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In this story, a wounded and traumatized veteran named Nick Adams wanted to fish that day, but he could not make himself wade through the deep water to fish in the swamp. “He looked back. The river just showed through the trees. There would be plenty of days coming when he could fish the swamp.”
After that, it was clear to Simpson that the title of his painting would be Fishing with Nick.
The Mattatuck Museum, located at 144 West Main Street in Waterbury, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.