William A. Mills, Artist – Then and Now *

Working on Utica poster, 1981
Photo credit, John Mills

In 1980-81, an aspiring local artist by the name of William Arthur Mills worked diligently to create a poster depicting the City of Utica, N.Y. 

The project, commissioned by the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica, challenged the young man to somehow squeeze every major and unique city feature into a 26 by 34 inch image, including borders.

He succeeded - brilliantly.

Clipping from Utica O.D., 1982

Odds are that at some point you've seen one of these iconic prints gracing offices and homes around town.  (You can view a color photo of it below.)

Though the face of Utica has changed substantially since the poster debuted in 1982, most of the historic buildings that the artist incorporated into the poster - including our own beautiful Dunham Public Library - are still there.

What befell the artist between then and now is a story worth a book of its own. Will lived in many places from Maine to New Mexico. He eventually settled in Brooklyn, where for the past 30-odd years he and his partner Scott Molampy have been doing business as Geppetto Studios.  They’ve gained considerable renown as fabricators of costumes, props and puppets for television, movies, and businesses. You can view their list of famous clients and accomplishments at their website:
 http://www.geppettostudios.com/Geppetto/Home.html 

In addition to running a successful company, Will Mills is an extraordinary and prolific artist, with hundreds of paintings and sketches in his repertoire. His technical ability is surpassed only by his highly imaginative and abstract subject matter, applying himself with equal devotion to the farcical and the divine. Have a peek at his website: 

http://www.williamamills.com/Paintings_Index_Catalog/The_Gift.html

Will Mills in his Brooklyn studio, 2015

Will and his two siblings grew up in Whitesboro and were educated in local schools. Like many area residents who once left the area in search of better opportunities, or better climates, Will has recently come home to roost for a spell. When we walked around the village doing errands together recently, he remarked, “Everyone is so friendly. People smile, they’re helpful, and they actually make eye contact!” Well, that’s an advantage of living in a small town. 

We hope he'll stay. *  Note: Will passed away in February 2021. A very great loss. 

UTICA POSTER - 1982