Athens, Ga. -William U. Eiland, director of the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia, recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Birmingham-Southern College at its annual Alumni Awards Luncheon on the BSC campus.
A native of Sprott, Ala., Eiland has been the director of the Georgia Museum of Art since 1992. He earned a B.A. from BSC in 1970, and an M.A. in 1974 and Ph.D. 1978 both from the University of Virginia.
“I am humbled by this undeserved honor,” said Eiland of his recent award.”To the extent that it reflects my love for Birmingham-Southern and my pride in the liberal-arts education I received there, I am pleased to join the long list of its distinguishedalumni.”
Eiland is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has received several fellowships, including the Danforth Teaching Fellowship at the University of Virginia, a Museum Professionals Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Research Fellowship from the UGA Center for Humanities and Arts. He also has edited and contributed to more than 50 publications, including Art Papers, Georgia Journal, US Art, Ceramics Monthly, Southern Antiques and English Literature in Transition and has served as general editor of seven catalogues at the Georgia Museum of Art. Notably, Eiland wrote The Truth in Things: The Life and Career of Lamar Dodd,published by the University of Georgia Press.
He serves on the boards of the American Association of Museums, the Southeastern Museums Conference and the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries; is a trustee of the Association of Art Museum Directors; and is chairman of the Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Advisory Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Eiland earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries in 2007. The Southeastern College Art Conference named him Outstanding Museum Professional in 1999, and the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries named him Museum Professional of the Year in 2000. He also served as the vice-chairman of the American Association of Museums in 2004-2005. Eiland was inducted into the Sigma Pi Kappa national honor society in spring 2010.
Partial support for the exhibitions and programs at theGeorgiaMuseumof Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Thecouncil is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the Arch Foundation and theUniversityofGeorgia Foundation. TheGeorgiaMuseumof Art is located in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on the East Campus of theUniversityofGeorgia. The address is90 Carlton Street, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 30602. The museum’s galleries and shop will reopen Jan. 29-Feb. 5. For more information and event times and locations, seewww.georgiamuseum.orgor call 706/542-4662.
