Benjamin Forrest Williams

Benjamin Forrest Williams (December 24, 1925 – November 24, 2017), also known as Ben Williams, was an American painter and art curator. He served as curator of the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) from 1956 to 1979 and later as North Carolina State University’s first university art curator, helping establish the collection that became the Gregg Museum of Art & Design. His work Geanie (c. 1947) is in the NCMA’s collection, and he received a Raleigh Medal of Honor for the Arts in 1989. Following his graduation, he traveled to France that same year with the intention of studying under Henri Matisse, though he ultimately only met with the elderly artist twice due to Matisse's failing health.

In 1979, North Carolina State University hired Williams as its first university art curator. He identified and cataloged hundreds of works on campus, establishing the institution’s initial art collection and laying groundwork for what became the Gregg Museum of Art & Design. He also helped start the Friends of the College series, led an art critique group for more than 30 years, and worked to document and preserve North Carolina’s arts and architecture, including Jugtown Pottery and the legacy of Black Mountain College.

Williams died in Chapel Hill on November 24, 2017, at the age of 91. A celebration of life was held at the Gregg Museum in Raleigh on January 14, 2018.

Selected work in public collections Geanie, mid‑20th century, oil on canvas, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina.