William (Bill) Pura

William Pura was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba followed by a Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University in Bloomington. He taught Printmaking, Drawing, Painting and Color Theory at the University of Manitoba School of Art until 2010. His artistic practice has evolved from landscape and figurative work to geometric abstraction and back to representational imagery. Pura is known as both a realist painter and musical composer, though he has also worked extensively in conceptual and minimalist prints, which are among his notable early works.

During his years in Indiana, Pura began exploring plein air painting with encouragement from his friend Richard Nickolson. Experimenting with watercolor, ink wash and oils in the atmospheric light of southern Indiana expanded his awareness of color in the landscape. His return to landscape work, particularly urban landscapes, focuses on three key elements: light as a phenomenon that changes object appearance and creates mystery through shadow; perspective that alters the viewer's relationship to subjects; and memory of specific locations that evoke a strong sense of place. This exploration led to his Night Roads series, depicting urban landscapes viewed from automobiles.

Pura has exhibited widely across Canada, the United States, and internationally, with solo exhibitions at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and venues in Chicago, El Paso, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Australia, Germany, Holland, and Ukraine. His work is held in collections including the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Department of External Affairs in Ottawa, U.S. Information Agency, and corporate collections such as Prudential Life Insurance Co., Miller Brewing Company, and C.P.Rail. In 2015, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he established a new studio and has exhibited at local venues including the Studio Center of Santa Fe.