The Fountain Hills Art League mourns the loss of Michelle Williams, a long-time member and friend of art.

Michelle’s many contributions to the Art League were serving as President 1999-2001 and acting as the League’s treasurer for many years. Among Michelle’s many accomplishments were to petition the new Community Center to include paintings as part of the Center’s permanent collection. She made sure deserving artists Dorothy Delahanty, Mitzi Hale, Claudia Smith and myself, (Justine Mantor-Waldie) would be honored to have their paintings hung in the Center.

She personally conceived “Charish the Moment” as she steered and gently nudged local businesses to display artistic chairs in their stores while people bid on the chairs with proceeds going to art departments in the town’s schools.

Michelle always felt the artists in Fountain Hills were a hidden treasure so she founded and organized the “Tour d’ Artistes Studio Tour and Sale,” which became a yearly event and is in its sixth year.

In recognition of Michelle’s numerous contributions, the Art League gave her the honor of “Lifetime Member.” Her artistic talent and innovations creating her own “encrusted” sculptures provided insight and humor to her many concocted images. Her humor and energy was boundless. She gave of herself endlessly without thought of personal return.

We will all miss her greatly.