by Theodosia Henney
William J. Kranstover’s journey as an artist began in the Midwest, where he received a Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin. After teaching there and in Australia, Kranstover moved to Park City, where he taught for the 1972 and 1973 ski seasons. He no longer teaches art, claiming he lacks the patience necessary.
However, Kranstover loves talking with people about art, which led to the unique operation of his gallery in Peoa, Utah: there are no regular hours, but Kranstover encourages anyone interested in seeing his collection and discussing art to stop by and give him a call or text at the number listed on his website— he’s rarely more than 20 minutes away, and is happy to open up the studio and offer a personalized tour.
“When people come out [to the studio] we have a discussion about process, materials, and what I’m doing,” says Kranstover. “We have fun conversations…it’s a little bit of education for everybody.” Visitors may get to watch the artist at work on one of his latest pieces; he typically creates 2 or 3 simultaneously, moving back and forth between the pieces whenever boredom or artistic block strikes— “If I don’t get excited about a piece, I move [to another piece] until I do.” Studio guests may also be greeted by Macy, Kranstover’s 40 pound standard poodle, whom he often refers to as a substandard poodle. When asked if Macy took offense to this categorization, Kranstover offered his assurance: “She’s fine with that.”