ASHLAND, Ky. — Ashland native and nationally recognized artist Joyce Williams has received Life Member Status in the American Watercolor Society. The American Watercolor Society began in 1866 to promote watercolor painting in America and is the foremost collection of outstanding watercolorists in the country.

Williams is a graduate of Virginia Intermont College and the University of Kentucky. She is the former director of the Hudson Valley Art Association and offers an achievement award in watercolor for the organization. She has had numerous solo exhibitions from Maine to Alaska and has won over 150 awards in national art exhibitions. She has sold over 1000 works of art during her career. In 2007, Williams donated a portion of her collection to the Highlands Museum & Discovery Center for display, sale, and as part of the museum’s permanent collections. Many of the paintings are currently on display in the museum’s offices and exhibit areas.