Renowned Dayton-based artist Willis “Bing” Davis is the focus of a 20/20 Exhibition, put on by the BGSU Fine Arts Center. The exhibit features new works of Davis and pieces from his personal art collection, work that has inspired and influenced his career.
Ranging from ceramics and paintings to drawings and mixed media utilizing found objects, these works are reflections of the Black experience known to Davis. He holds the belief that the best art comes from one’s experience.
A unique exhibition
Davis’ new pieces will be featured in the Exhibition. His signature style uses found objects, such as gears, to create African-influenced art. Despite working with a variety of media, ceramics is Davis’ favorite medium to showcase aspects of his life and experience. This exhibit is unique as the art that inspires and informs Davis, is being put on display as well.
“I have collected art from African American master artists, Charles White, Hale Woodruff, Varnette Honeywood, Jon Onye Lockard, and others,” Davis explains, adding that he is displaying these pieces of African art from his personal collection that he began in the 1970s. “I have always wanted to put on an exhibit like this and BGSU was willing to make it happen.”
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Gallery Curator of the BGSU Fine Arts Center, Matthew Kyba noted that he and director Charles Kanwischer wanted to celebrate and showcase an artist from the area and the immediate answer was Bing Davis. “This is an artist who has done decades of racial advocacy work, “ Kyba notes. “This is a time to honor him and everything he’s done.”
Know thyself
Bing Davis knew he wanted to be an artist since he was asked in the fifth grade what he wanted to be when he grew up. His community had already accepted him as a great athlete due to his talent and build, but Bing didn’t let that deter him from pursuing artistic dreams. “Basketball and track was just a means to get an education and college degree but art has always been what’s driven me,” Davis said.
After graduating from DePauw University and then remaining there to serve as assistant dean of art and coordinator of Black Studies, Davis has used his illustrious career to mentor many young African American artists, encouraging them to follow their passions. His advice to those artists is to know thyself. “Have a sense of who you are, your history, your culture . . . It enriches your life which enriches your art.”
A community-minded guy
Bing Davis is a prolific artist and a very active member of the art and education community in Dayton, and beyond. After retiring in 1998 from Central State University he opened the EbonNia Gallery in Dayton and has served as the president of the National Conference of Artists (NCA), while assisting with founding the African American Visual Artists Guild (AAVAG). His commitment to art, culture and community has fueled his pursuits throughout his life and he continues to have a desire to give back. “I have been nurtured and helped by the community since I was young and I’ve learned the importance of giving that back,” Davis explains.
Davis uses his art to educate others on the Black experience, through his personal journey. “Many artists reflect what they’ve experienced and what they’ve seen,” Davis notes. “If you look at my art, you see that which concerns me, pieces I’ve done like Anti-Police Brutality Dance Mask and Ancestral Spirit Dance are not only art but real areas of concern to me.”
Bing Davis 20/20 Exhibition. Aug. 30 through Sept. 20. Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, BGSU Fine Arts Center. Free to the public. bingdavisartstudio.org. bgsu.edu/gallery
