Tashema Davis
{{Short description|American artist and teacher}}
{{Infobox artist
| image = Tashema N. Davis 2 BLTButterArtFairPhotoBooth 08312024 - 54016004251 (cropped).jpg
| birth_place = Gary, Indiana, US
| alma_mater = Ball State University
| website = https://tnicole.com/
| spouse = Keenan Davis
| known_for = Painting
}}
Tashema Davis is an artist and art teacher based in Indiana, US. Her work, which consists of mostly brightly painted portraiture of Black women and men, has been featured in locations such as Indiana Wesleyan University's 1920 Gallery, the Harrison Center, the Huntington Arts and Entrepreneurial Center, the Kokomo Art Association's annual Black Pearls exhibit and the Indiana Memorial Union. Davis opened the Echo Galley in Marion where she taught art classes to the public and displayed local artist's work. She has also worked as an art teacher at Marion High School in Marion, Indiana and is the illustrator of several children's books.
Early life and education
Davis was raised in the Gary, Indiana projects before leaving to attend college at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.{{Cite web |last=PETERSON |first=ANNIKA |date=2020-09-08 |title=Davis showcases '38' at IWU's 1920 Gallery {{!}} News {{!}} chronicle-tribune... |url=https://archive.today/20250217152316/https://www.chronicle-tribune.com/news/davis-showcases-38-at-iwus-1920-gallery/article_3d6bf009-5066-5deb-99fe-edb8c255ccb5.html |archive-date= |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=archive.ph}} At Ball State, Davis obtained a bachelor's degree in interior design while working as a substitute teacher at Marion Community Schools. During her time at Ball State as an undergraduate, Davis was encouraged to pursue painting by a professor named Scott Anderson. Davis later returned to Ball State for her master's degree in art and a license to teach, both of which she received in 2010.{{Cite web |title=Tashema Davis » GANGGANG |url=https://ganggangculture.com/artists/tashema-davis/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=GANGGANG |language=en-US}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwPWbqi5_Sk |title=Empowering Art: Interview with Artist and Art Teacher Tashema Davis {{!}} arts IN focus |date=2024-02-09 |last=arts IN focus |access-date=2025-03-24 |via=YouTube}}
Career
Davis began teaching art classes at Marion High School in 2011. While working in this position Davis also served as the sponsor of the Marion High School art club, an advisory board member for the art and writing scholastics of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and a children's book illustrator. By 2020, Davis had illustrated six children's books while working as a teacher. This branch of Davis's artistic career was originally inspired by stories that her oldest daughter had told to her younger sister. Davis took these stories and portrayed them in her first three illustrated books.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sfP2iyZuos&t=1s |title=Fusion Arts Alliance presents Artists Studio hosted by Ed Breen with artist Tashema Davis |date=2020-06-27 |last=Fusion Art Alliance |access-date=2025-03-19 |via=YouTube}}
In 2020, Davis opened the Echo Gallery on Washington Street in Marion with funds provided to her after winning second place in Community Pitch Night. After moving her workspace out of the Boston Hill Center, the Echo Gallery acted as Davis's new studio. Davis also utilized the Echo Gallery as a space to display local artist's work, teach community members how to paint, and sell artwork, including several of her own illustrated children's books. Echo Gallery was closed in May 2024 after Davis made the decision to reallocate her time and efforts towards her family.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-24 |title=Facebook |url=https://archive.today/20250224150047/https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=893510649450489&set=a.443869307747961 |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=archive.ph}}
On September 4, 2020, Davis gave the first artist talk of the fall semester at Indiana Wesleyan University where she was presenting her artwork in the campus's 1920 Gallery. This show was titled "38" by Davis because thirty-eight was the age in which she decided she was an artist. This exhibit displayed many examples of Davis's brightly colored portraiture featuring Black subjects and self-portraits on canvas and tapestry.
In 2021, Davis was asked by Alex Husky, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College, to curate a project that would be put on display at the Ivy Tech campus. For this project, Davis asked the public via social media who they believed qualified for the title of "Ma" which she defined a woman who led with strength and uplifted the community while "holding the door for the next generation".{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Jaylan |date=2022-02-28 |title=Artist shares portraits of local influential Black women {{!}} News {{!}} chr... |url=https://archive.today/20250305133346/https://www.chronicle-tribune.com/news/artist-shares-portraits-of-local-influential-black-women/article_4caf42a5-b2cd-58da-9f35-8c703691f64b.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=archive.ph}} From the responses Davis chose 10 women who she would meet with and interview in order to curate their portraits in a manner that would best reflect their personalities. The paintings were put on display in February 2022 and the project was titled "Ma" as it was meant to celebrate the "Mas" of Marion and Grant County. The project was continued by Davis in an exhibit titled "Ma. 2023" which opened on April 22, 2023, at the Marion Municipal Building.{{Cite web |last=Wilkins |first=Maya |date=2023-04-26 |title='One of Marion's most beautiful treasures': Tashema Davis opens new e... |url=https://archive.today/20250317181238/https://www.chronicle-tribune.com/news/one-of-marion-s-most-beautiful-treasures-tashema-davis-opens-new-exhibit-ma/article_02738746-5eaf-5efb-a85a-b857b68a5708.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=archive.ph}}
In a collection of paintings titled "The Hood" Davis explored the concept of the "Black man" in opposition of the stereotype she had seen in the media. This collection was shown in the Harrison Center{{Cite web |date=2022-12-12 |title=The Hood |url=https://www.harrisoncenter.org/blog/2022/12/12/the-hood |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Harrison Center |language=en-US}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2svqWqOo4Y |title=Artist Talk - Tashema Davis |date=2022-12-08 |last=Harrison Center |access-date=2025-03-19 |via=YouTube}} in 2022 and the Pathfinder Arts and Entrepreneurial Center{{Cite web |last=Beatty |first=Ashley |date=2023-09-26 |title=Celebrating the Triumph of Art and Identity: Tashema Davis' "The Hood" Exhibition |url=https://artsincluded.org/3192-2/# |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=HAEC |language=en-US}} in 2023. Davis went on to have two more shows in the Harrison Center: "Kefi" (2023){{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Cierra |date=2023-02-13 |title=Kefi |url=https://www.harrisoncenter.org/blog/kefi |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Harrison Center |language=en-US}} and "FINE" (2024).{{Cite web |last=Blue |first=Erika |date=2024-03-07 |title=April 2024: FINE |url=https://www.harrisoncenter.org/first-fridays/2024/3/7/april-2024-fine |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Harrison Center |language=en-US}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4onX3W6exKU |title=Artist Talk⎮FINE by Tashema Davis |date=2024-04-05 |last=Harrison Center |access-date=2025-03-19 |via=YouTube}}
Davis's self-portrait, "In the Fog," was selected by Indiana University Bloomington students to be one of the four pieces bought by the university and added to their Indiana Memorial Union Collection. These students were sent in groups to the 2024 Butter Fine Arts Fair and tasked with searching for new artwork that would better reflect the diversity in the student body of IU Bloomington. Davis's "In the Fog," alongside Rosy Petri's "Yante," Justin A. Carney's "To Dance," and Rebekah Gaillard's "Unrequited," was given an unveiling ceremony in the IMU Federal Room on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. "In the Fog" was placed in the Indiana Memorial Unions' Tree Suites Lounge.{{Cite web |last=Randall |first=Sydney |date=2025-02-04 |title=Unveiling new additions to the IMU Art Collection – John Whittenberger Society |url=https://blogs.iu.edu/ubalumni/2025/02/04/unveiling-new-additions-to-the-imu-art-collection/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=blogs.iu.edu}}
Works
Davis has self-published several of her own illustrated books and collaborated with many self-publishing authors as an illustrator on their literary works.
= Illustrated books =
- When We Grow Up (2020){{Cite book |last=King |first=Cawanna |title=When We Grow Up |date=2020-08-15 |others=Illustrated by Tashema Davis |isbn=9781735385624}} – with Cawanna King
- I Miss Poppy (2021){{Cite book |last=Millben |first=Denise S |title=I Miss Poppy |publisher=Lord's Image |year=2021 |isbn=9780998416014}} – with Denise S Millben
- I Am A Gift (2021){{Cite book |last=Funches |first=Shayona J. |title=I Am A Gift |publisher=Strength & Dignity Life Coaching & Consulting |others=Illustrated by Tashema Davis |year=2021 |isbn=9780578869315}} – with Shayona J. Funches
- A Christmas Miracle (2022){{Cite book |last=Parks |first=Angela Monique |title=A Christmas Miracle |date=2022-05-14 |publisher=Independently published |others=Illustrated by Tashema Davis |isbn=9798817245950}} – with Angela Monique Parks
- Mammau's Bags (2022){{Cite book |last=Millben |first=Denise S |title=Mammau's Bags |publisher=Lord's Image |others=Illustrated by Tashema Davis |year=2022 |isbn=9780998416038}} – with Denise S Millben
- Childlike Faith (2023){{Cite book |last=Myers |first=Alanna |title=Childlike Faith |date=2023-12-07 |publisher=Independently published |others=Illustrated by Tashema Davis |isbn=9798871159880}} – with Alanna Myers
- Amiyah's Shenanigans (2024){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Amiyah's Shenanigans |date=2024-07-31 |publisher=Independently published |year= |isbn=9798334656383}}
- Imagineers (2024){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Imagineers |date=2024-08-01 |publisher=Independently published |year= |isbn=9798334754386}}
- Brown Beauty (2024){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Brown Beauty |date=2024-08-01 |publisher=Independently published |year= |isbn=9798334701793}}
- Everywhere I am: An illustration of God's Omnipresence (2024){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Everywhere I am: An illustration of God's Omnipresence |date=2024-08-01 |publisher=Independently published |year= |isbn=9798334707160}}
= Coloring books =
- Color Me Beautiful (2017){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Color Me Beautiful |publisher=Lulu.com |year=2017 |isbn=9781365492914}}
- King Me (2017){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=King Me |publisher=Lulu.com |year=2017 |isbn=9781387304547}}
- Imagineers Coloring Book (2024){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Imagineers Coloring Book |date=2024-08-03 |publisher=Independently published |isbn=9798334934757}}
= Exhibition catalogs =
- Ma. 2022 (2023){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Ma. 2022 |date=2023-02-03 |publisher=Independently published |isbn=9798375449593}}
- Ma. 2023: Shine a Light on 'em! (2023){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=Ma. 2023: Shine a Light on 'em! |date=2023-08-14 |publisher=Independently published |isbn=9798856039633}}
- FINE (2025){{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Tashema |title=FINE |date=2025-03-04 |publisher=Independently published |isbn=9798312900330}}