Professor Emeritus M. William Schlesinger (1915-2011) received his Bachelor of Fine Arts' degree from Pratt Institute and his Master of Fine Arts' degree from Columbia University. After serving a distinguished career as Founder and Chairman of the Art, Advertising and Graphic Arts Department for the State University of New York, Schlesinger devoted the rest of his career to pursue his passion for painting and printmaking.

Schlesinger's brilliant and imaginative architectural compositions are executed in a style he described as "stylized realism". His distinct and innovative oil paintings, watercolors and limited edition serigraph prints have been exhibited throughout Europe, North America, the Far East and Australia.