William Artis

William Ellisworth Artis (February 2, 1914 – April 3, 1977) was an African-American sculptor.

Born in Washington, North Carolina, he moved to New York as a teen in 1927. He was a pupil of Augusta Savage and exhibited with the Harmon Foundation. He was featured in the 1930s film A Study of Negro Artists, along with Savage and other artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance, including Richmond Barthé, James Latimer Allen, Palmer Hayden, Aaron Douglas, William Ellisworth Artis, William Ellisworth Artis, Lois Mailou Jones, and Georgette Seabrooke. Artis studied at the Art Students League of New York and Syracuse University, where he worked with Ivan Meštrović. From 1941 to 1945, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

He later taught at Nebraska Teachers College in Kearney (today Chadron State College), where from 1956 to 1966 he was Professor of Ceramics, and at Mankato State College as Professor of Art until 1975.