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Well-known artist charged with forcible touching
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| John Mason/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers archive William R. Sullivan |
William Sullivan says accusations are false
By Andrew Amelinckx and John Mason
HUDSON — An internationally known artist was arrested Saturday in Hudson for inappropriately touching two of his models last December, according to the Hudson Police Department. But the artist said the accusations are false.
William R. Sullivan, 66, of Hudson is facing two counts of forcible touching, class A misdemeanors, for allegedly touching the private parts of a 21-year-old and a 24-year-old who were modeling for the painter.
“I’m innocent of any wrongdoing,” Sullivan said. “I’m being persecuted because of my paintings. These are people I chose not to paint.”
Called one of the “key realist” painters of New York City by Art in America magazine, the artist had a retrospective at the Albany Institute of History and Art in 2006.
He moved to Hudson from New York City in 2004.
At the time of the alleged incident he was working on a series of paintings of people with tattoos.
The alleged victims reported the incidents to HPD and the Detective Unit followed up.
Sullivan was arrested an hour before the opening of an exhibition of the paintings at the Carrie Haddad Gallery Saturday.
The police said they had trouble locating Sullivan until recently.
“They tracked him down,” said Lt. Richard Paolino of the Hudson Police Department.
Sullivan was arraigned before Hudson City Judge Richard Koweek and remanded to Columbia County Jail on $750 cash or $1,500 bail bond.
He was apparently bailed out and is free pending further court action.
The artist called the matter “a cultural misunderstanding.”
He is being represented by Hudson attorney Robert Gagen.
To reach reporter Andrew Amelinckx please call 518-828-1616, ext. 2267, or e-mail aamelinckx@registerstar.com.
By Andrew Amelinckx and John Mason
HUDSON — An internationally known artist was arrested Saturday in Hudson for inappropriately touching two of his models last December, according to the Hudson Police Department. But the artist said the accusations are false.
William R. Sullivan, 66, of Hudson is facing two counts of forcible touching, class A misdemeanors, for allegedly touching the private parts of a 21-year-old and a 24-year-old who were modeling for the painter.
“I’m innocent of any wrongdoing,” Sullivan said. “I’m being persecuted because of my paintings. These are people I chose not to paint.”
Called one of the “key realist” painters of New York City by Art in America magazine, the artist had a retrospective at the Albany Institute of History and Art in 2006.
He moved to Hudson from New York City in 2004.
At the time of the alleged incident he was working on a series of paintings of people with tattoos.
The alleged victims reported the incidents to HPD and the Detective Unit followed up.
Sullivan was arrested an hour before the opening of an exhibition of the paintings at the Carrie Haddad Gallery Saturday.
The police said they had trouble locating Sullivan until recently.
“They tracked him down,” said Lt. Richard Paolino of the Hudson Police Department.
Sullivan was arraigned before Hudson City Judge Richard Koweek and remanded to Columbia County Jail on $750 cash or $1,500 bail bond.
He was apparently bailed out and is free pending further court action.
The artist called the matter “a cultural misunderstanding.”
He is being represented by Hudson attorney Robert Gagen.
To reach reporter Andrew Amelinckx please call 518-828-1616, ext. 2267, or e-mail aamelinckx@registerstar.com.
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