Biography
Curriculum Vitae- BFA, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, University of Michigan, 1979
Bill Burgard is a freelance illustrator and designer who joined the Stamps School Faculty as a Lecturer in 1993. Initially hired to teach illustration, Bill has become a major contributor to the core drawing program. He has taught courses that focus on honing observational skills as well as courses that concentrate on rendering conceptual ideas.
His professional commissions cover a wide range, from identity designs to permanent building installations. For twelve years he was the art director for the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, a four-week event that presents art and entertainment at both indoor and outdoor venues in the city. He has designed all of the festival’s collectible, large format posters. He has designed several mixed media wall displays for the University of Michigan Health System. The works combine typography, large-scale illustrations, and three-dimensional materials. They are on permanent display in public areas in the medical school and hospital. A large part of his work also involves portraiture. He has been commissioned to create numerous portraits in an engraved style to honor individuals for major donations and for achieving honors in their fields at the university. They can be seen in buildings across the Ann Arbor campus. Through out his career he has illustrated for an extensive list of national clients. These include Sports Illustrated, Starbucks, Scholastic and Sleeping Bear Press, to mention just a few.
In 2010 Bill became an associate artist for the United States Mint and has created commemorative coins honoring Helen Taft and the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner.
