William Pajaud

William Etienne "Bill" Pajaud (August 3, 1925 – June 16, 2015) was an African-American artist known for his paintings exploring themes of jazz.[1] He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He died in Los Angeles, California on June 16, 2015 at the age of 89.[2]

His work has been featured in exhibitions at California African American Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Las Vegas Museum of Art. His work is in the collections of the Pushkin Museum, the Amistad Research Center, and the National Museum of American Art.[3]

Pajaud was a member of the Society of Graphic Designers, the Los Angeles County Art Association, and the National Watercolor Society, of which he served as president from 1974 to 1975.

William Pajaud was part of the artists' collective Eleven Associated (later Art West Association). The short lived Los Angeles artists co-op included African American contemporaries Beulah Woodard, Alice Taylor Gafford and Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong.[4][5]

Pajaud's work was featured in "Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980" an exhibition at the Hammer Museum, October 2011 – January 2012. The exhibition explored the work of African American art pioneers and the multicultural friendships and collaborations that helped define Los Angeles art and creative communities of the period.[6]