Paul Sawyier’s paintings, particularly his impressionist watercolors, are ubiquitous in Central Kentucky and their wider recognition continues to grow. Yet a century after his death, most Kentuckians today know next to nothing about the artist himself, and the little that is thought to be known is often so wrong as to constitute caricature of the real man. This two-part presentation marks the first-ever collaboration of Don Coffey and Bill Coffey – widely considered the foremost experts on the life and art of Paul Sawyier.
PART I: PAUL SAWYIER IN CONTEXT
Don Coffey, author
Paul Sawyier, Kentucky Artist: An Historical Chronology of His Life, Art, Friends, and Times from Old Frankfort to the Catskills (2010)
Paul Sawyier lived a fairly normal life as the middle sibling among five children of the prominent Sawyier family. Their two-story home in downtown Frankfort stood about where the Kentucky Historical Society’s front doors face East Broadway today. In his time, Sawyier had a reputation as pleasant-natured, sociable, likeable, a bit unsettled, and a good artist very determined to earn his living with his paintings.
This presentation will portray Sawyier’s lifetime as four periods, each representing a significant phase in his unfolding life story and the ways it affected his art. Description of each period will show how changes in his personal life and his artistry affected each other – a major example being his early decision to switch from dark oil portraits to light impressionist watercolor landscapes. His third life period coincidentally included his 23-year romance with Mayme Bull, the breakup of which marked the beginning of tragic endings for both her and Paul. His remarkable artistry and its true value would remain unrecognized until many decades after his death.
William D. “Don” Coffey spent four decades in governmental service—the first in federal defense work, the remainder in Kentucky human services budgeting, program evaluation, public health and health care reform. From 1982 through 2000 his avocation was co-creator and co-director of some 35 folk dance schools—semi-annual, week-long events featuring historical Anglo-American folk dances. With his wife Sylvia he established and for fifteen years co-directed folk dancing in Frankfort as the Capital City Historical Dancers and Musicians. He created “Legends of the Great Hall—Ae Stately Frolic and Mid-Winter Celebration of Ancient Music, Dance, Traditions and Delights,” produced in 2005, 06 and 07 as a community fundraiser for Thorn Hill School.
A lifelong musician, Coffey founded and directed several choral groups, dance bands and a couple of ad hoc orchestras, and has provided music for countless folk dances in several states. Over fifteen years he sang and played hammered dulcimer, guitar, accordion and keyboard with The Mink Run Consort, a four-person band featuring Celtic and Anglo-American traditional ballads and instrumentals. He composed a contemporary operetta, The Parables, and has authored four books. As playwright he wrote two plays: “Maisie’s Dead,” produced by Bluegrass Theater Guild; and “Two Loves and a River,” a biographical dramatization of Paul Sawyier’s life produced by Capital City Museum. His presentation today is based on his 2010 book published by Frankfort Heritage Press titled: Paul Sawyier, Kentucky Artist: An Historical Chronology of His Life, Art, Friends, and Times from Old Frankfort to the Catskills.
PART II: THE ART OF PAUL SAWYIER
Bill Coffey, president
Paul Sawyier Galleries, Inc.
Bill Coffey, over the past fifty years, even though he’s not an artist, historian, or art expert, has become well-acquainted with Paul Sawyier’s art. After Paul Sawyier Galleries initially reproduced the J.J. King Collection of fifty original watercolors, Bill had to find additional originals to reproduce. This led to finding and viewing over 1,000 Sawyier paintings. Since 1976, he has reproduced 185 Sawyier watercolors, oils, pastels, and etchings.
In 2021, his research was summarized in a catalog of every Sawyier he has found, seen, or knows to exist. He continues to find an average of ten additional originals each year.
Coffey’s presentation will show examples of Sawyier’s styles and subject matter during his life. A sheet will be available on Sawyier’s life, estimates of his artistic production, where to find Sawyier originals, books about Sawyier, where to purchase Sawyier prints, Coffey’s research on Sawyier, and how to contact Coffey.
Attendees will also receive a free Sawyier art print.
William H. “Bill” Coffey is the descendant of Lewis Russell Coffey, who settled in Monticello, Wayne County, Kentucky in 1807. While Bill’s parents were natives of Kentucky, his father’s job meant the family moved to Birmingham, Alabama and then St. Louis, Missouri. Bill graduated from the University of Missouri. After college, he worked for a bookbinding company. In the late 1960’s, he was a commissioned U.S. Army officer. He then sold color copiers for the Xerox Corporation. In 1976, Bill moved to Frankfort and purchased Paul Sawyier Galleries from his brother, Coleman Coffey, one of the company’s creators.
Bill has a widowed adult daughter, Cathy, in Prescott, AZ. She has three fine, well-educated married sons. In 1989, Bill met and married Becky, and the twins – Alicia and Cory. They have blessed him with Tanner, Caroline, and Callan.
Please register at
https://www.pspl.org/event/fhls-sawyier. For more information, contact Diane Dehoney at (502) 352-2665 x100 or
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