Bill Sawicki

March 19, 1945 — February 18, 2001

William (Bill) Sawicki – nationally renowned artist, illustrator, writer, dancer and metaphysician passed away Sunday February 18, 2001 at the age of 55. Born March 19, 1945, and raised in the south suburb of Blue Island, Sawicki relocated to Chicago in 1967 making his presence known at Chicago’s Campanile, Monroe and Steiner Art Galleries as well as the Annual Gold Coast Art Fair where the front of the Esquire Theater was his reserved space. Bill made Chicago his home, setting up his place of residence and studio in Chicago’s Andersonville.

As a youngster Bill won many awards for posters he designed and painted which set him on the path toward enrolling in the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1964. He studied under the tutelage of Joseph Vanden Brocke. Bill was considered a romantic impressionist whose artwork has been compared with such masters as Degas and Renoir.

Bill’s work is currently being catalogued. Collectors of his work are asked to aid in this effort by contacting his family to have their artwork validated and included in the catalog send: photograph of painting, title (if known), size of painting and the medium ie: oil, conte, watercolor, ink, pencil sketch or pastel. See contact information for instructions on how to reach us. Details of the process of assembling his catalog can be found on the catalogue raisonné page.

An Art Scholarship Fund is being developed in Bill’s name for the American Academy of Art in Chicago. In lieu of flowers contributions are being taken for the William Sawicki Scholarship fund at the P.O. Box listed above.

His soon to be published autobiography, A Trilogy – Journey of a Reluctant Star Voyager, includes his escapades on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers from Peoria to New Orleans where he and a friend rafted, un-powered, in the true spirit of Huck Finn. It had been said they went farther than any others since Abram Lincoln’s time. Details of this work can be found on the autobiography page.

He was also responsible for bringing the first sensory deprivation tanks to Chicago at The Float Experience in Andersonville where he conducted workshops and lectured on metaphysics helping people to understand “Why”.

His father Stanley preceded him in death in 1980. He is survived by his mother Sophie; sisters Virginia and Dolores; and brother Jim.