Background
McVey, William Mozart was born on July 12, 1905 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Silas R. and Cornelia (Mozart)McVey.
McVey, William Mozart was born on July 12, 1905 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Silas R. and Cornelia (Mozart)McVey.
Following his graduation he attended the Cleveland School of Artist In 1929, a patron financed a "shoe-string" budgeted trip to Paris, where he studied with Despiau and Gimond as well as earning a meager living as one of three American guides at the Louvre Museum.
His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when McVey was still in high school. He left to attend Rice University, where he played football under Coach Heisman while studying illustration. He returned to art school in Cleveland but did not study sculpture there because "his personality (was) incompatible with that of Herman Matzen, who headed the department." While studying at night he worked for the Gandola Brothers making tombstones.
In 1932, after three years in Paris, he returned to Cleveland and taught at the Cleveland Museum of Artist
Shortly afterwards he was employed by the World Pet Association for whom he created several works using the direct carving approach. Around 1935, McVey returned to Texas to teach at the University of Texas in Austin.
During World World War II he entered the army and was stationed at Fort Randolph Army Base, where he taught "recognition." Called up to explain why his students were being taught art in their classes, a test of his students showed that they scored higher in "recognition" tests than student taught in the traditional manner, and his approach was subsequently adopted by the other classes. Following his discharge from the army McVey, then married to "radical" ceramicist Liza McVey, moved to Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he taught sculpture (1947–1954) and she studied with Maija Grotell.
He died in Cleveland, Ohio on May 30, 1995.
His papers are held at Rice University.
Served to major United States Air Force, World World War World World War World War II Fellow National Sculpture Society. Member College Art Association, American Society Aesthetics, International Platform Association, National Academy of Design (associate).
Papers in Archives American Art, Smithsonian Institute Died May 15, 1995.
Married Leza Marie Sullivan, March 31, 1932.