Artist Bing Davis to visit Wright State

Artist Bing Davis (pictured at ArtsGala with his wife, Audrey) will be the featured speaker at this year's Friends of the Libraries luncheon.

Renowned Dayton artist Willis ‘Bing’ Davis will present “The Arts as an Agent of Change” at the Wright State Friends of the Libraries’ 33rd annual spring luncheon noon­–1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, in the Nutter Center Berry Room.

The cost is $17 for Friends’ members and $19 for non-members. Lunch of either Jack Daniels Chicken or Oriental Stir Fry is included. Register online at www.libraries.wright.edu/calendar/events or by calling (937) 775-2380.

Davis’ artwork put Dayton on the map in creative circles. His work is known for being symbolic of his outlook on life today and the vision of a heritage long past. Through ceramics, drawing, painting, photography and jewelry, his art is considered a mosaic of both African and American cultures.

Davis is one of Ohio’s best-known artists and is especially suited to talk about the Arts as an Agent of Change in not only American but global society. He was a pioneer of the Dayton Public Schools Living Art Center program that was a forerunner to the National Artists in the Schools program, and has taught every age level, keeping in regular contact with many former students.

Born in Greer, S.C., and raised in Dayton, he graduated from DePauw University and received his M.Ed. from Miami University. He also attended the School of the Dayton Art Institute and pursued graduate study at Indiana State University. He has taught in the Dayton Public Schools, and DePauw, Miami and Central State universities. Throughout 20 years at Central State University, he served as chair of the Art Department and director for the Paul Robeson Cultural and Performing Arts Center. He also served as an artist-in-residence for the School of Education at the University of Dayton, and as a visiting scholar at Wright State.

His work has been exhibited throughout the world including the U.S. Embassy Accra, Ghana; the Museum of Applied Art in Frankfurt, Germany; the Society for Contemporary Crafts in Pittsburgh; the National Museum of Art of West Africa, and the Savannah College of Art and Design, among many others.

The Friends of the Libraries is a not-for-profit group created in 1978 that supports the Wright State University Libraries in their goals of continually expanding and improving upon collections, resources and facilities for the benefit of WSU students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community. More information on the Friends of the Libraries and membership support is available by calling (937) 775-2380 or online at http://libraries.wright.edu/support/friends/.