Will Kautz began making art as a child, apprenticing beside his father, New York artist William Charles Kautz. As he grew, he found himself torn between a deep creative drive and a desire to protect the vulnerable - a dual calling that uniquely shaped his life and career.

​

In 1985, while balancing a young family and graduate studies—eventually earning an M.A. in theology, serving as a Research Fellow at Yale University, and earning a law degree—Will turned to carving to help pay tuition. His designs caught on immediately. For the next decade, after passing the Vermont bar exam, he harmonized his passions: running a volunteer law practice for victims of domestic violence by day, and supporting his family through his art by night.

Today, Will’s acclaimed work is held in private collections and galleries worldwide. His pieces have been showcased at prestigious institutions, including The Museum of American Folk Art, The Shelburne Museum, and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Recognized as a master of his craft, he is a juried member of american-artists.com and has been named to Early American Life magazine’s annual Directory of America's Best Traditional Craftsmen.