WILLIAM RALPH DUNLAP (born 1944)

Born in Webster County, Mississippi, William Dunlap has spent the better part of his life in the South. After graduating from Mississippi College with a degree in art, he went on to receive a master of fine arts from the University of Mississippi in 1969. Having lived in several Southern locales outside his home state, including North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and Virginia, Dunlap closely identifies with his regional roots: "The South is my legacy—the feeling for kinfolk, for storytelling, for customs and manners, juxtaposed with the polarities of social order and races—all set in that lush breathtaking countryside."

The Southern countryside is a constant source of inspiration for Dunlap's...