Back in my hometown this past Sunday evening I was privileged to speak at Clinton County’s 5th annual Walk of Fame Awards ceremony. It was humbling to be among this year’s recipients. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the entire experience. I ended my remarks by quoting my song Devin… “Dad, you’ve lived a long life with the ones you love, doing what you always loved to do best.”
(There were a couple of minor typos in the credits… a little mixup re: Florida State College vs. Florida State College at Jacksonville and the Maler Museum vs. Maier Museum in Virginia).
Please check out the brochure for the event below and read about this year’s other distinguished award recipients.
Painting award
This year’s entry into the GCAC Members & Friends exhibition.
2025 Retrospective Exhibition
My sincerest thanks to Executive Director, Tuesday Çhetin,
Director of Community Engagement, Ana V. Fleming,
Education Coordinator & Registrar, Zoë Rose Schmidt-Feenstra,
and the additional fine staff at the Galesburg Community Arts Center for making my 2025 Retrospective Exhibition such a success. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to present a comprehensive range of over 40 paintings and 20 plus drawings in a chronology of this artist’s career. Also gratitude for the chance to christen a space dedicated to printmaking endowed by myself and my wife. Your combined generosity will be ever appreciated.
Abstract National Exhibition
Abstract National Exhibition
My painting, Reed Bed, was accepted into the Abstract National exhibition at the Wiedeman Gallery in Wichita, Kansas, hosted by Mark Arts. The show opened January 5th 2024, and the work was subsequently purchased from the exhibit. The oil and cold wax on panel work measured 30”H x24”W.
64 Arts National Competetive Art Exhibition 2023
My oil and cold wax painting Grant Park Lollapalooza was accepted into this year’s exhibition at the Buchanan Center for Arts in Monmouth, Illinois
Linda Lytle Memorial Award
Another award that was given at Galesburg Community Arts Center’s, Members and Friends 2021 "Hard Hat" Juried Exhibition was the Linda Lytle Memorial Award in honor of long time friend of the Civic Arts Center, Linda Lytle. The winning artwork is chosen by her husband Tom Lytle and daughter Laura Lytle.
LJD at First Free Chicago-Fall 2021
(If you are a Facebook user, please use the following links to see the details of this exhibit. My special thanks go to Dan Addington of Addington Gallery http://danaddington.com , who curated the show.)
Here is the direct link to the new album featuring the artwork currently on view in the church sanctuary, graciously on loan from artist Larry J Davis. This is the 9th show in the Sanctuary Series which began in the Advent season of 2016. Hard to believe it's been 5 years since we started this exhibition series!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...
Becoming Free added 25 new photos to the album: First Free Sanctuary Series (9) Larry J. Davis, Fall 2021.
Golden Light: Summer of New Beginnings
BETTENDORF — The painting “Lilies and Lotus at Lock 13” by Larry Jon Davis will anchor the “Golden Light: Summer of New Beginnings” exhibition at Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy this month.
A native of Clinton, Davis grew up along the Mississippi River and has vivid memories of lilies and lotus at Lock and Dam 13 near Fulton, said Beréskin Gallery in a press release last week.
Davis would walk out to the causeway from the Iowa side to the dam or canoe from the Illinois side into the water lilies, the gallery said. “At sunset, there are colors that don’t show up any other time of day,” he said.
The 5-foot-by-5-foot “Lilies and Lotus at Lock 13,” is striking, awash in vibrant colors of pink, orange, yellow, violets and blues, with a sunset reflected on the water, the gallery said.
Davis is now a retired art professor with a studio in Knoxville, Illinois.
The Golden Light exhibit includes work by nine other artists: Pat Bereskin, Rose Moore, Pat Halverson, Dean Kuegler, Debora Stewart, Hans Olson, Brad Bisbey, Steve Sinner and Troy Swangstu.
The artists and their works have received wide acclaim and are well-known to patrons of the gallery, said Bereskin, owner of Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy. The pieces from the 10 artists in the exhibition reflect expressions of hope and light, she said.
The exhibit continues through Aug. 26 at 2967 State St. in Bettendorf.
Read MoreSunset Shaman
During the last few months, Sunset Shaman, a 20” x 20” x 1.5” painting in oil and cold wax on canvas, has been accepted into both the 2019 64 Arts National Juried Exhiition, and the 2020 Galex 54 National Juried Exhibition.
The setting for this imaginary event is the bluffs at Mississippi Palisades State Park near Savanah, Illinois. As a youngster I was intrigued by the stories about the Meskwaki people who inhabited the region until just over a century before my time. I would love to believe that Black or Hawk or other chiefs would have watched the sun set over the Misi-ziibi or Great River as it was known by the native population.
2019 Members and Friends award
The painting, Prairie Shadows, won the Painting Award at last evening’s reception for Galesburg Civic Arts Center’s 2019 Members and Friends Exhibition.
Members and Friends 2018 award
Still Life with Bottles, a 16”x16” work in oil and cold wax on cradled panel, received the Painting Award in the Members and Friends 2018 exhibition at the Galesburg Civic Art Center.
Read More
2018 Cooperstown Art Assoc. National Show
I received notice that Torso 1, a painting in oil and cold wax on panel, was one of 130 works out of a field of 496 selected for the 83rd Annual CAA National Exhibition. This is the second time I have been fortunate enough to have work in this venerable show.
Illinois at 200
Friendly Conversation, a painting in oil and cold wax, was among works by 44 Illinois artists selected from a field of about 350 entries for the Illinois at 200 exhibition to be held at Giertz Gallery at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. Dates for the show are June 18 - August 8. Artists Reception: Thursday, June 21, 5:30–7:30 p.m.; opening remarks by Lisa Costello, Director, Giertz Gallery and Kelly White, Director, 40 North: Champaign County Arts Council;
WCI Arts Center in Macomb, IL
2017 ended with a solo exhibition in response to the kind invitation from Jan and Dean Rockwell
Buchanan Center for the Arts Presents:
The year 2017 kicked off with an exhibition of Davis work at this fine facility in Monmouth, IL
"All About Color - Abstractions in Oil and Wax"
November, 2016 saw a show of the artist's works at Beréskin Gallery in Davenport, Iowa. The exhibition was combined with a one day workshop on oil and cold wax technique. Gallery owner, Pat Beréskin, along with the other fine artists in the gallery stable went out of their way to make the event a success.
GCAC 2015 "Members & Friends"
This oil entitled “Parish Church” was given a Juror's Choice Award
Galex50 exhibition: 1st Place Blick Purchase Award at GCAC, Galesburg, IL
From the March, 2016, Galex50 reception, here are to attendees viewing the oil and wax painting, MODEL RESTING, which was awarded the $1000 first prize Blick Purchase Award.
2015 “Works by Larry Jon Davis” at Sandburg Community College
A thanks to Prof. Lisa Walker for ushering in the 2015 gallery season by featuring this show of my paintings. Among those in attendance at the opening reception were the Executive Director of the Galesburg Civic Art Center, Tuesday Çetin and her husband Savas Çetin.
My wife Jacquie and son Devin were also there for the reception.
Iowa Hall Gallery - Kirkwood Community College
Here are 2 of the 9 works purchased by the college during this exbibition in October of 2014. I am more than a little tardy in using this venue to thank both Greta Songe and Arbe Baresis from the Kirkwood art faculty for making this wonderful experience possible.