Wil Clay

Wil Clay, graphic designer, illustrator, painter, sculptor and storyteller, passed away on January 13, 2011, in Toledo, Ohio, at the age of 72. Wil was a graduate of Macomber Vocational in Toledo, Ohio. After graduation, he entered into military service with the Navy, and was honorably discharged in 1962. He studied art at The American Academy of Art in Chicago and the Vesper George School of Art in Boston and University of Toledo in Ohio. He further attended the University of Toledo, and was just a few credit hours shy of receiving his Bachelors Degree. Wil was self-employed, having owned his own art and graphic design business since shortly after his discharge from the Navy. He concentrated on corporate design in his Providence, R.I. studio for seven years before moving to Texas, where he headed a multifaceted graphic arts business for 17 years. In 1987, Mr. Clay returned to his hometown of Toledo, where he devoted most of his time to fine arts painting and sculpture. In 1988, he opened his studio at the Common Space Center for Creativity, where he also taught figure drawing.