William A. Kohl

William A. Kohl passed away on Monday, May 2, 2011 at his home and studio in Aguanga, Calif. He was a native of St. Louis, Mo., born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Kohl. He was a graduate of University High School, University City in Missouri. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Illinois Wesleyan, Bloomington, Ill. and a Masters of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Michigan during the early 1960s. He dedicated his professional life to art and education. He was a Professor of Fine Arts at College of the Desert, Palm Desert, Calif. from 1974 until his recent retirement in 2005, after 29 years of service. During his tenure as a full professor at the College of the Desert he taught Sculpture, Life Drawing, Basic Design and Color, Drawing and Composition, Modern and Postmodern Art History. He was instrumental in the conception and development of the Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts, located at College of the Desert, Palm Desert, serving as it's director. Before this, he was the founding director of the California Sculpture Center at College of the Desert from 1982-1993. William was devoted to the concept of open accessibility in education through the California community college system which frequently provided for a multi-generational environment to learning. Before moving to California he taught at Flint Community College, Flint, Mich., 1963-1964; Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Mo., 1965-1968; University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1968-1973. He was an accomplished bronze sculptor, drawer and paper maker. He exhibited his artwork nationally and internationally. His work is collected both privately and publicly; with selected commissioned work. He was a visiting artist at Nasson College, Springvale, Maine: Rice University, Houston, Texas; St. Thomas University, Houston, Texas; Oguni Arts Center, Oguni, Japan; Toronto School of Art, Toronto, Canada; Awagami Factory, Tokushima, Japan. He studied the art of Occidental and Oriental hand-made paper and bronze casting nationally and abroad during his career. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Andrea von Milbacher-Kohl; son, Wolfgang Andreas Kohl of Aguanga, Calif.; son, Aaron Daimon Kohl of Iowa City, Iowa; daughter, Amber Ruth Kohl of Milan, Italy; mother-in-law, Sebenia Ann Milbacher of Palm Springs, Calif.; sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Regal of St. Paul, Minn.