About

Robert Dale Williams studied classical drawing and painting techniques at the New York Academy of Art Graduate School of Figurative Art. Following graduation from the Academy in 2004, he furthered his studies under Odd Nerdrum during three summer residencies in Norway. With a body of work depicting individuals suffering in a violent post-apocalyptic world, Williams participated in some of the earliest exhibitions of the Kitsch Movement, and his paintings were included in the published compilations Kitsch: More Than Art and The Nerdrum School. A guest lecturer at the Susquehanna Art Museum and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Robert Dale Williams joined the Continuing Studies faculty at the New York Academy of Art in 2022, drawing from his extensive experience as an instructor of drawing, painting, anatomy, and design courses at six art institutions.

Featured in collections worldwide, he has exhibited in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and Norway.

ROBERT DALE WILLIAMS    (United States, 1972 -        )

EDUCATION
2004    MFA, Painting, New York Academy of Art Graduate School of Figurative Art, New York, NY
2000    BFA, Painting, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown, PA

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS & RESIDENCIES
2022 Post-Graduate Teaching Assistant Research Grant, New York Academy of Art
2020 Art Renewal Center 15th Annual International Salon, Semi-Finalist (Imaginative Realism)
2020 World Wide Kitsch, Annual Painting Competition, Finalist
2017 World Wide Kitsch, Annual Painting Competition, Finalist
2012 Members Only Competition, Portrait Society of America, Honorable Mention (Still Life)
2004 - 05, 2007 Residency with Odd Nerdrum

INSTRUCTION, LECTURE & EDUCATION SERVICE
2022 - pres. Continuing Studies Faculty, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2023 Instructor, York Art Association, York, PA, Portrait Painting Workshop
2022 Post-Graduate Teaching Assistant, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2021 - 23 Alumni Association Advisory Board, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2017 Lecturer, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA, “The Figure in Art”
2016 Instructor, York Art Association, York, PA, Portrait Painting Workshop
2016 Instructor, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA, Portrait Painting Workshop
2014 – 16        Faculty, Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online, Pittsburgh, PA
2011 Instructor, Baum School of Art, Allentown, PA, Figure Drawing
2005 – 10        Instructor, Goggleworks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2025 The Nerdrum Clan, The Grand Quarter, Larvik, Norway
2025 The Sounds of Summer, York Art Association, York, PA
2024 Almerana Art Prize 2024 (Figurative), The Almerana Collection, Virtual Exhibition
2023 Almerana Art Prize 2023 (Still Life), The Almerana Collection, Virtual Exhibition
2023 Instructor Invitational, York Art Association, York, PA
2022 Deck the Walls, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2021 Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2021 Parcus Gallery, Aistersheim, Austria
2020 15th International Salon, Art Renewal Center
2020 Annual Painting Competition, World Wide Kitsch
2020 Teaching Artists, York Art Association, York, PA
2019 Timeless, IX Gallery, Virtual Exhibition (catalog)
2017 Annual Painting Competition, World Wide Kitsch
2017 Figuratively Speaking, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
2017 Single Fare 4, Highline Stages, New York, NY
2016 Nerdrumklanen III, Rauglands Gallery, Stavern, Norway
2016 Figuratively Speaking, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
2016 88th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
2015 Structures II, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
2015 Arts Festival Reading, Yocum Gallery, Reading, PA
2015 Figuratively Speaking, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
2014 86th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
2013 New York Academy of Art Alumni Exhibition, Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery, Bernardsville, NJ
2012 Take Home a Nude, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2010 Alumni Exhibition, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown, PA
2009 Group Exhibition, Schmidt Gallery, Reading, PA
2008 Kitsch Biennale, Pasinger Fabrik, Munich, Germany (catalog)
2007 Group Exhibition, Royal Birmingham Society of Art, Birmingham, United Kingdom
2007 Group Exhibition, Kjell Strand Gallery, Tolvsrod, Norway
2006 Kitsch Annual, Fredriksvern Verft, Stavern, Norway
2006 Recent Paintings, Wyndham Hotel, Reading, PA
2006 Take Home a Nude, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2006 Young Artists, Yocum Gallery, Reading, PA
2005 The Nudity Project, St. Lawrence ArtSpace, St. Lawrence, PA
2005 Kitsch Annual, Fredriksvern Verft, Stavern, Norway

ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS
Bork Nerdrum, "The Nerdrum Clan Summer Exhibition in Grandkvartalet, Larvik", pinakoteket.no, June 29, 2025.
Bork Nerdrum, "The World’s Greatest Living Painters — Ranked According to Objective Criteria", sivilisasjonen.no, December 15, 2020.
Efrat Cybulkiewicz, "Artist Interview: Robert Dale Williams," Artmoire.com, October 17, 2019.
Robert Dale Williams, "Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect", worldwidekitsch.com, June 29, 2017
Manav Singhi, "Figurative Paintings by Robert Dale Williams from United States", artospective.blogspot.com, June 27, 2017.
Bork Nerdrum, "Meet the Apocalyptic Painter Robert Dale Williams", WorldWideKitsch.com, April 2, 2016.
Paula O'Brien, "Robert Dale Williams: Paintings from Delicate to Dramatic", Figurativeartist.org, May 22, 2015.
Journal of the American Viola Society, Volume 29 Number 2, Cover Image & Page 1, Fall 2013.
Richard Vine et. al. The Nerdrum School, Orfeus Publishing, Pages 113 & 237, 2013.
The Portrait Society of America. The Art of the Portrait, Issue #57, Pages 6-11, 4th Quarter 2012.
Odd Nerdrum et. al. Kitsch: More Than Art, Schibsted Forlag, Page 314, 2011.
Robert Dale Williams, “Integrating Imaginative Landscapes with Figures Painted From Life”, International Artist, Issue #73, Pages 58 – 62, 2010.
Odd Nerdrum et. al. Kitsch: Mer Enn Kunst, Schibsted Forlag (Norwegian), Page 276, 2009.
Robert Dale Williams, Discovery, Lulu Publications, 2009.
The Florence Academy of Art and the School of Nerdrum. Immortal Works, Page 68, 2009.
Joshua Rose and Robert Dale Williams. “When is Talent Unfashionable?” International Artist, Issue #62, Pages 60 – 69, 2008.
Signy Norendal, “Robert Dale Williams – En del av Malerfagets Stolte Tradisjon” Aktuell Kitsch, Pages 4-5, 2007.
Robert Dale Williams, Jan-Ove Tuv, and Shane Young. “Kitsch 22” Culture and Leisure Magazine, Pages 61-63, Fall 2005

GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Pinakoteket, Norway

MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
Art Renewal Center, Affiliated Artist, 2019 - present
Portrait Society of America, Member, 2008 – present
World Wide Kitsch, Member, 2005 - present

SELECTED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Private Collections in Canada, Chile, France, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States
Museu de l'Erotica, Barcelona, Spain