The Artists: Bill Orr
Bill Orr (right) with Atillio Banca (left).
World Champion Pine Chip.
Growing up in Michigan, a young Bill Orr (1925-) worked breaking in mustang ponies. When World War II broke out, Orr joined the Army and was a member of the cavalry regiment. Later seeing action on Okinawa in the Pacific Theater, he was among the first servicemen to serve in Japan after the war. Orr found his way to the Research Studio in 1961 after applying for a position through a newspaper advertisement. As an artist he made a living doing life-size portraits of horses. He would go on to establish himself as a leading equine artist, a tribute to his lifetime love of horses. Along with artist Maury Hurt, Orr was instrumental in leading the movement to save the Maitland Art Center from developers in the 1960s.
Orr will also be featured in Art Legends exhibitions at the City of Orlando Terrace Gallery (October 15, 2015 through January 8, 2016), the Art & History Museums – Maitland’s Maitland Art Center (January 15 through February 28, 2016), and the Orange County Regional History Center (March 5 through May 29, 2016).