A detail from William D. Goebel’s “Blind Willie,” part of a posthumous show opening Tuesday at The Purple Moon in downtown Charleston.

The Purple Moon, 716 Lee St. in Charleston, presents “Native Son: Selected Works of William D.Goebel,” beginning Tuesday (Sept. 26) with a 5 to 8 p.m. reception. Featuring original pen and ink drawing and scarce hand-colored and limited edition prints from the estate of the artist, the show will also release the print “Blind Willie” which Goebel had in the works at the time of his death. More on the artist from a release about the show:

“Native Son: Selected Works of William D. Goebel,” the first posthumous show of artwork from the Estate of the artist, will explore the work, talent and unique perspective of one of West Virginia’s best-known artists a little more than a year after his death. A self-taught artist, known to his friends as “Doug,” Goebel was a former educator and aimed to teach through his drawings, books, and occasional public appearances.

The show features a limited edition print, “Blind Willie,” a homage to William Samuel McTell, who was born in 1901 and lost his sight in late childhood. “Blind Willie” earned the status as one of the most accomplished guitarists and lyrical storytellers in blues history. He became an accomplished musical theorist, able to both read and write music in Braille. The work by Goebel, featured on the cover of Charleston Magazine in December 2005, was a new direction away from his architectural drawings and born of his love of the blues and of Bob Dylan. It is a work that that gives a glimpse of how Goebel’s art had evolved and what might have been. Preparations for this new, limited edition print were in progress at the time of Goebel’s death and completed by his family.

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