Inside Willis Bing Davis’s studio, a series of portraits hung on the wall: a charcoal drawing of , an oil painting of , a digital photo rendering of aviation expert and social justice advocate Carolyn Perkins.
The mediums are as diverse as their subjects’ professions, but Davis says all have one thing in common: they’re skyscrapers.
“[They are] local and regional, high achieving African Americans who have been selected by the artists as high achievers who not only excel in their field but give back to the community,” he said. “So, our skyscrapers are not a skyline, but people who stand tall in our minds and hearts for what they've done for our community.”
Laying the foundation for the art project
Davis started the in 2006. A long-time educator, he remembers asking his students what they wanted to be when they grew up.
“They fell in three categories basically: NBA, NFL or hip hop,” he said. “Either they were going to be professional athletes, especially basketball or football, or they were going to get a record deal. And we know that there's a lot of talent, athletically and entertainingly. But that's a small number who can make it in that field.”
So Davis began an endeavor to introduce young people to a wider array of professions using art.
“I always knew, as an educator, the value of motivators and role models from the community,” he said. “And so what we came up with was: Why don't we use our own to help motivate our own?”
He recruited local Black artists, asked them to identify and interview Black community members doing great things, and then render them in a medium of their choosing.
The resulting exhibit has been years in the making, and now consists of more than 100 artworks depicting local ‘skyscrapers’ in charcoal and clay, colored pencil and paint.
One artist’s experience
In Davis’s studio, pointed to one of his drawings among the collection — a black and white image of Cincinnati-born, Dayton-raised stand-up comedian Katt Williams.
The performer’s face is solemn, but the classic Greek comedy mask grins behind him.
“All of this laughter, presumably, is going on around him. He's causing it,” Pate explained. “But I didn't want to use an image of him that showed his funny face during his performances because a lot of people go to his shows or other comedy events for therapeutic reasons. I wanted to show that seriousness juxtaposed with the laughter.”
"Talent is sprinkled from such a high place in the heavens, it falls on every neighborhood. There's talent all around. We just have to find it, nurture it and then share it.”Bing Davis
Pate was first introduced to Davis when he was a middle school student. His class took a field trip to Miami University’s art department, where Davis worked at the time.
“And we’ve been sort of buddies ever since,” Pate said.
He’s created multiple pieces for the skyscraper project over the years and says participating presents a unique opportunity: after the pieces are displayed at Davis’s studio, Dayton’s public schools purchase them and display them in their halls.
The hope is that today’s students can take inspiration from both artists like Pate and their subjects.
“You don't get any better than that than to have them in school environments so that students hopefully gain a curiosity to want to know about them,” Pate said. “And it’s additional exposure for the artist, so it’s a win-win across the board.”
Building up the next generation
Already, students in Dayton’s public schools are taking note of the ‘skyscrapers’ that decorate the district’s 27 K-12 buildings.
“Some of them are already saying, ‘I'm going to be a skyscraper when I grow up,’” Davis said. “That's exactly what we want. That's the kind of thinking we want them to have.”
Davis plans to continue the project until every building has a minimum of six ‘skyscrapers.’
He says it’s the first and largest collection of contemporary African American art in any U.S. school district. But the goal isn’t about reaching a national record.
“There's a concept that I remember from the old folk, that talent is sprinkled from such a high place in the heavens, it falls on every neighborhood,” he said. “There's talent all around. We just have to find it, nurture it and then share it.”
That’s why he hopes other school districts pick up the torch. After all, every city has its skyscrapers.
This project was made possible by the America 250 Ohio Commission.
