From Riverbanks to the Racetrack: Meet Austin Williams, the Artist Behind This Year's Steeplechase Race Art
Each fall, Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens brings together generations of families and friends for a beloved regional tradition that celebrates the sporting life while supporting the arts in Columbus, Georgia. Among the many elements that make Race Day memorable is the annual unveiling of the event's featured Race Art, a commissioned work that captures the spirit of Steeplechase through the eyes of an artist.
This year's featured artist, Williams brings a unique perspective to the tradition. A native of rural Telfair County, Georgia, whose artistic inspiration has long been drawn from the rivers, wetlands, and wildlife of his childhood, Williams has traded familiar landscapes for the powerful movement of thoroughbred racehorses.
The resulting work, Neck and Neck, captures two horses shoulder to shoulder in the final moments of a race. It's a fitting contribution to an event that celebrates tradition, community, and the important role the arts play in connecting people to the places they call home.
For Williams, the commission also comes at a particularly meaningful moment in his career. Just over a year ago, he was working full-time in public sector management consulting. Today, he's a professional artist whose paintings, prints, and silk scarves are carried by retailers throughout the Southeast.
An Unexpected Career in the Arts
"I have painted my entire life, which might seem an unlikely hobby for the son of a farmer and an elementary school teacher from Telfair County, Georgia," Williams said. "I like to think God gave me this talent and the drive to create. It's a gift, but I never expected to make a living from it."
After studying business at the University of Georgia, Williams pursued a career in public service. For more than a decade, he worked with state government agencies along the East Coast, helping solve organizational challenges ranging from outdated technology to the implementation of new federal policies.
Although he found the work meaningful, painting remained a constant presence in his life.
"Through all of it, I never stopped painting, at night and on the weekends," he said.
In January 2025, Williams made a New Year's resolution to begin earning income from his artwork. What started as a practical idea to supplement his family's income ahead of a home renovation quickly developed into something much larger.
Having spent several years building a collection of sporting and wildlife paintings, Williams began researching the business of art and developing a plan to expand beyond original works. His vision included producing prints and other products that could be sold through galleries, retailers, and interior designers.
His wife, Courtney, suggested another possibility: translating his artwork into luxury silk scarves.
"Courtney, a brilliant inspiration and the source of all my best ideas, suggested I rework several of my print designs for silk scarves," he said.
The couple partnered with an experienced luxury silk manufacturer and officially launched their business in October 2025.
The response was almost immediate.
With encouragement from friends and supporters in their Thomasville community and across Georgia, the couple attended Atlanta Market in January 2026. By the end of February, their prints and scarves were available in more than 100 retail stores across the Southeast.
"To my great shock I was putting in my notice to leave consulting and become a full-time artist," Williams recalled.
A New Perspective on a Beloved Tradition
Not long after making the transition into his new career, Williams received an invitation from Steeplechase Executive Director Brooke Neville and Race Director Leigh Anne Smith to create the featured Race Art.
"When Brooke Neville and Leigh Anne Smith reached out to me last March I had only recently gone full time as an artist," Williams said. "Given how fresh I was to the profession, I was and am deeply honored to have been chosen as the featured artist for Steeplechase this year."
For an artist whose work is rooted in Georgia's natural landscapes, the opportunity presented both an exciting challenge and a departure from familiar subject matter.
Williams grew up along the Ocmulgee River, where his family's property borders one of Georgia's wildest waterways. His paintings have traditionally reflected the landscapes and wildlife of the river wetlands that shaped his childhood.
The world of competitive horse racing, however, was considerably less familiar.
"When Steeplechase selected me, I was thrilled. I was also a little nervous because the Williamses are swamp people, not fox hunters or equestrians," he said. "Where I come from fence jumpers are called trespassers and we put up signs for that."
Despite the differences between his upbringing and the traditions of Steeplechase, Williams discovered an unexpected connection between the horses he was painting and the natural world he knew so well.
"Surprisingly, I was struck by how similar painting a lathered racing horse is to painting flowing water," he explained. "Like the surface of a river, the body of a horse in motion has almost no uniform color. The muscles and veins catch and cup the light like the ripples of a rapid."
The observation became central to his approach to Neck and Neck, a painting intended to capture not only the physical beauty of the horses but also the energy and intensity of competition.
"The sweat of the horses' effort reflects brighter glints of light, like the shimmer of the sun on water, giving even a very dark horse a bright luster," Williams said.
"The goal of my work Neck and Neck was to bring the viewer right into the middle of the river that is these two horses that are shoulder to shoulder in their final sprint. I tried to capture their heart, and sweat and breath on the canvas."
For those who have spent their lives around horses, Williams hopes the painting evokes a familiar feeling.
"For those of you who grew up riding and racing and jumping these magnificent creatures I hope it inspires the feeling you remember."
Racing for the Arts
Beyond the opportunity to create this year's featured artwork, Williams sees his involvement with Steeplechase as a chance to support something he believes is essential to healthy communities: access to the arts.
For more than four decades, Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens has brought people together around a shared tradition while generating support for the arts in the Columbus region.
Williams believes that investment reaches far beyond galleries, museums, and performance spaces.
"Art strengthens social connections as people gather at galleries and performances and events like Steeplechase," he said. "It preserves stories, landscapes, and traditions that might otherwise fade from memory."
He also sees art as a powerful means of cultivating appreciation for the places people call home.
"People protect and invest in what they love and art often helps people take notice of and appreciate the beauty of a place, its rivers, wildlife, or architecture."
For Williams, the value of art also extends to the relationships that hold communities together.
"Art can also teach us empathy. It invites us to see the world through someone else's eyes and this exposure to different perspectives can seed civility, understanding, and cooperation that grows into stronger towns, states, and countries."
He credits the Hardaway and Lampton families for their continued investment in the arts through Steeplechase and considers it a privilege to contribute to that legacy.
As Race Day approaches, Williams hopes his painting will do more than commemorate another year of Steeplechase. He hopes it will encourage viewers to appreciate the beauty, energy, and shared experiences that art can preserve.
"Art can make us all better if we take the time to put down our phones, shelve our conflicts, and just look at it together."
Still looking for tickets or new to Steeplechase? Read our recent feature on why Steeplechase exists and how to join us in the Terrace Boxes on Race Day. ◼️
If You Go:
Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens
Location: 2458 Nelson Road, Pine Mountain, Georgia 31822
Featured Race Art: Neck and Neck by Williams
Tickets and information: Click here!
