William "Bill" Ernest Shumway

William ‘Bill’ Ernest Shumway (82) of the Mennonite Village, Albany, Oregon, passed away on May 6, 2024 surrounded by family. Most people who know Bill will know him as one of the most loving and kind people they have had the pleasure of meeting. Throughout his life he was a prolific, inspirational and beautiful painter and a prominent member of the arts community wherever he lived. Having known he wanted to paint from the age of eight, he spent his life inspiring others and pursuing life as an artist. Bill was born on February 13, 1942, in Amherst, Massachusetts, the youngest son of Bernice and David King Shumway. From an early age, he was inspired by barbershop quartet and harmonies that he sang with his family, likening them to the ‘harmonics’ of painting. He was adept at improvisation in both art forms and could play music by ear on many instruments (banjo and flute were favorites) and would say that he achieved a “letting go of self-awareness” through that music that inspired much of his artwork. He decided art would be his vocation in life and received his MFA in painting from the University of Massachusetts in 1968. This is also where he began to pursue abstract expressionism (having been inspired by artists such as Willem de Kooning and Vincent van Gogh) enjoying the interplay of color, texture and light that he achieved. After his studies, he went on to work in galleries/frame studios in Northampton and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as become owner of his own frame shop in Amherst, Massachusetts and owner of Pegasus Gallery in Corvallis, Oregon (which he ran for 35 years). After moving to the Pacific Northwest, he discovered he enjoyed landscape painting and began to use interference pigments to emphasize tonality and light. He showed his artwork in many local and regional galleries and was awarded best in show awards many times. His work during this time encompassed not just paintings, but also portraits, animal paintings (his totems of wolves and crows often featured), book covers and representational drawings. In the Corvallis area, where he lived for many years, he was well known for his community involvement. He hosted numerous workshops and artist collaborations with artists and friends, work that included; the many, many art shows that he hosted at Pegasus Gallery, getting local businesses to host art shows for new artists, more than ten years of fund raising with the Chocolate Fantasy, being co-chair of art procurement for the Arts Center, the establishment of Vistas and Vineyards, participation in en plein air painters “Artists in the Sky” (1994-1996) and several permanent installments (including River Song at the Corvallis library, Resonance at the Linus Pauling Building at OSU and Resonance Jr. at the Linus Pauling Middle School). Bill was an inspiration throughout his life in the way he interacted with other people. Many was the time he would leave a restaurant and hand a drawing he had done on a napkin to someone who had happened to be sitting nearby, surprising and engaging them in conversation at the same time. He loved to tell stories and relate experiences. One of his particular gifts, was his ability to treat everyone the same and put people at ease. He had a contagious curiosity about all aspects of life, especially that which involved nature, music, art and creativity. He spent a lifetime inspiring others to pursue art in whatever way he could. He will be incredibly missed by his large family that includes: his older brother’s children Jennifer and Leslie, his brother Earle and his sister-in-law Jeanne and their children Kary, Andy and Lani, his five children and their partners; Robyn and Michael Neupauer, Paige and Michael McReynolds, April and Henrik Warburton, Corey and Tawnya Shumway and Crystal and Joseph Neal and his many grandchildren and their partners; Nicholas and Krystle Hill, Cymrych and Kat Hill, Benjamin and Josh McReynolds, Oliver and Maya Warburton, Kayla, Alec and Adam Shumway and Wes and Trevor Neal and many, many good friends. He is pre-deceased by others who loved him including: his older brother David and his sister-in-law Nancy, his first wife and good friend Mary Shumway and his soul mate and second wife Susan Ambrose Shumway. A Celebration of Life will be held on May 27th at the Mennonite Village Lakeside Center, 5353 Columbus Street SE, Albany from 3-5 pm. Please share your thoughts and memories for the family at www.demossdurdan.com

William "Bill" Ernest Shumway

February 13, 1942 - May 6, 2024