Willie White

(1908-2000) Natchez MS/New Orleans LA

Born near Cranfield, Mississippi, Willie White's parents were sharecroppers and he joined them in the fields after third grade. In 1929 he left home to work a variety of jobs, ultimately settling in New Orleans. In the 1950s his interest in painting developed through watching artists working in the French Quarter. His first paintings were created with house paint; however, by the 1960s, he had transitioned to using markers on poster board. Due to health issues, which twice stopped his art-making, there are 3 distinct periods of White's creative output. He died in the year 2000 following a series of strokes. His art is held in many private and public collections, including the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and The New Orleans Museum of Art.

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