The Alonzo Davis Collection Virtual Exhibition: The Public Art of Alonzo Davis

Dive into the recently donated archive, the Alonzo Davis Collection, through our virtual exhibition “The Public Art of Alonzo Davis”

Artist, gallery owner, professor and activist, Alonzo Davis (b. 1942), donated his archive documenting his career in the arts last year. Currently based in Hyattsville, Md., Alonzo Davis was born in Tuskegee, Ala., and moved to Los Angeles in his early teens. After graduating from Pepperdine University, Davis later earned his MFA in Design and Printmaking at Otis College of Art and Design (then Otis Art Institute) in 1973. It was at Otis that Davis studied with influential artist Charles White (1918-1979). Davis and his brother, Dale Brockman Davis, went on to found the Brockman Gallery in South Los Angeles in 1967. The Brockman Gallery, which the brothers owned and operated until 1991, was the first major Black-owned gallery in Los Angeles, furthering the careers of many Black artists. Alonzo Davis became involved in the California mural movement and his well-known mural, Eye on ’84, was created that year to commemorate the Olympics in Los Angeles. Davis’ vision is often expressed in mixed media works, executed in series, allowing the artist to fully “exhaust” an idea before moving on. Moreover, they often bridge the arts by, for example, involving musicians and dancers to interact with the works, notably with his Power Poles. His artistic practice is informed by a life of travel and ongoing engagement with issues surrounding climate change and the struggle for social justice.

The Alonzo Davis Collection was compiled and organized by Alonzo Davis over the course of his career and documents his contributions to African American art history as an artist, gallerist, arts administrator, and educator. The papers of artist Alonzo Davis measure approximately 55 linear feet and date from 1960 to 2019, with the majority of the materials coming from the years 1975-2010. A large portion of the collection focuses on Davis’ personal art career, specifically on his public art commissions, such as the 1984 Olympic Mural Project, as well as his work as a gallerist and administrator for the Brockman Gallery, Brockman Gallery Productions, Sacramento Metropolitan Art Commission, and A.I.R. Studio Paducah. Also found in the collection are newspaper clippings, course materials, ephemera, exhibition catalogs, memorabilia, newsletters, sketchbooks, and writings, as well as audio, film, and photographic materials.

The last quarter of the twentieth century witnessed vigorous debates about the functions, aesthetics, and funding of public art in the United States. Some questioned the appropriateness of sponsoring art projects that showed the country's shortcomings or promoted non-elite perspectives. Simultaneously, others looked at abstract public art and wondered whether artists have become too elitist and out of touch. Alonzo Davis became a leading creator, administrator, and educator of public art in the midst of these fierce debates. In this exhibit, we explore how Davis navigated this tumultuous period while maintaining his belief that art can promote social justice. "The Public Art of Alonzo Davis" is created by Master of Library and Information Science students in the "Arrangement, Description and Access for Archives" course at the University of Maryland under the supervision of Dr. Eric Hung. It uses materials from the Alonzo Davis Papers archived at The David C. Driskell Center. The project is made possible by the work of David Conway and Karina Nelson, archivists at the Driskell Center, and their student assistants.

Dive into this recently donated archive through the virtual exhibition “The Public Art of Alonzo Davis” at https://alonzojdavis.wordpress.com/