Red Square (collage and oil on Masonite, 46 x 48 inches, 1997) by William Halsey
; (opposite page) William Halsey and Corrie McCallum in the courtyard of their studio at 20 Fulton Street, circa 1997
West End of George Street (casein on paper, 23 x 15 3/4 inches, 1941) by Corrie McCallum; she was often drawn to the less “attractive” parts of Charleston, as she felt the buildings conveyed complex emotions.
The artists in their Fulton Street studio, circa 1971; when they first met at the University of South Carolina, Halsey felt that McCallum was the only person with whom he could seriously discuss art.
End of Town (oil on Masonite, 1953) by William Halsey
The couple in their studio in 1955, the same year Halsey had one of his paintings adorn a poster—alongside a poster with a Picasso—for the International Watercolor Society show.
The family, circa 1956: Paige, Corrie, Louise (on the floor), David, and William; McCallum was quoted as saying: “I’ve always felt that if you are a woman, it’s important, if possible, to experience all aspects of what that means, particularly our unique bond with children.”
Ringside #4 (acrylic on canvas, 30 X 40 inches) by Corrie McCallum
A circa-1968 sketch with note, “Looking across at Venice from a balcony on Giudecca Island” from A Travel Sketchbook, published in 1971
Old Man (oil on Masonite, 48 1/8 x 48 1/8 inches, 1972) by William Halsey; to get the texture for the painting, he mixed marble dust with the paint for a grainy finish.
Halsey with (from left) Paige, Louise, and David, circa 1953
Night Houses (oil on Masonite, 1951) by William Halsey
The couple, circa 1970
Charleston Houses, East Side (casein on paper, 19 1/2 x 26 inches, 1942) by Corrie McCallum
McCallum and Halsey gave much of themselves to art education, including roles at the Gibbes Museum of Art. Eventually, both took teaching posts at the College of Charleston, where she established the printmaking department and he earned the informal title, “Dean of Abstract Art in South Carolina.” The college’s Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art was named in his honor.
Squared (oil on monotype paper, 26 3/4 x 31 3/4 inches, circa 1998) by Corrie McCallum
The couple left an indelible mark on Charleston culture, paving the way for modern art in the Lowcountry