Photograph of William (bc) (Bill) Collins in Front of his Painting of the Columbus Skyline

These photographs show artist and signmaker William (bc) (Bill) Collins posed in front of his six-foot by 25-foot oil-on-linen mural of the Columbus skyline. The mural, which bc was commissioned to paint by Discover card at Sears, is shown on display in the building.

According to notes bc made about the painting, it depicted the city's skyline circa 1980, "looking east across the Scioto River at Columbus' downtown, with the Santa Maria in foreground" and the "old Broad Street bridge." The "Santa Maria" was a museum ship displayed in Columbus from 1991 to 2014, and is not shown in this image--bc painted the ship into the mural years after its completion. The painting took five months to complete, and initially consisted of three ten-foot-long canvases--bc later removed five feet from the canvas at the far left.

The painting was later displayed at Copious, a restaurant and event center in the Columbus Brewery District that has since closed. bc held two artist shows there.

In April, 2022, the painting became a permanent part of the collection at the Ohio Arts Council headquarters on the 33rd floor of the Rhodes State Office Tower, 30 East Broad Street in Columbus.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, bc attended Columbus College of Art and Design when it was still a small art school, majoring in Fine Art. After serving in the Army in Europe, he became a sign artist for businesses throughout the Columbus area, starting his sole ownership sign business in 1978. Over nearly three decades, he created some of the most iconic advertising art in central Ohio.

Before the advent of computers and the use of vinyl, bc designed, created and sold his signs marketing his work through word of mouth. He cut letters with a router, made and pounced patterns, projected designs on a variety of objects then finished the job by painting and installing the sign.

bc created signs for numerous Worthington-area businesses, including Angels on High, Scottie MacBean, Pig Iron BBQ (now Iron Grill Barbeque and Brew), P.K. O'Ryan's, The Old Bag of Nails Pub, Celtic Corner, Magic Cruises & Tours and M.S. Abbott Jewelers.

In addition to his sign art, bc was an accomplished muralist, sculptor and painter of portraits, landscapes and other work, which were exhibited in galleries throughout central Ohio, including the High Road Gallery in Worthington.

bc said about his painting: "I love the aesthetics of all styles of art, but using oil, I favor creating atmospheric qualities in my realistic to abstract paintings. I enjoy completing oil pastels from my travels. The mesmerizing full moon is important in my life; I often portray it in my paintings."

bc and his family lived in Worthington for 22 years.