Race Day, Georgia Steeplechase Painting

Bill Suttles was born in 1930 in the Midwest and went on to become a prominent figure in Atlanta’s mid-century art and advertising scene. After serving honorably in the Korean War, Bill returned to Atlanta in the 1950s, where he helped shape the visual culture of the region. He earned his degree from the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1952 and soon after began a career in commercial illustration. During his time at the BDA Advertising Agency, Bill was responsible for much of the hand-rendered illustration work that defined the advertising style of major Atlanta-based companies like Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola throughout the 1950s and 1960s.