Dale Brockman Davis facts for kids

Dale Brockman Davis (born 1945) is an American artist, gallery owner, and teacher from Los Angeles. He is famous for his unique sculptures and ceramic art. His art often tells stories about African American history and music, especially jazz.

With his brother, Alonzo Davis, he started the Brockman Gallery in Leimert Park. Through this gallery and his other community efforts, Davis greatly helped many African American artists in Los Angeles.

About Dale Brockman Davis

Dale Brockman Davis was born in Tuskegee, Alabama on November 11, 1945. He moved to Los Angeles in 1956. He went to Los Angeles City College. Later, he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree. This was at the University of Southern California.

At USC, he learned from a famous ceramist named F. Carlton Ball. Dale Davis began making sculptures instead of just traditional pottery. He was inspired by "assemblage art." This art style uses everyday objects put together to create new artworks. This style became popular in Los Angeles after important community changes in 1965.

Davis also studied for his master's degree. This was at the University of California, Los Angeles. However, he left the program. Some people there did not understand his unique assemblage art style.

Besides being an artist, Davis was also an art teacher. He even led the art department at Dorsey High School.

Brockman Gallery: A Special Place for Art

Dale Davis and his brother Alonzo opened the Brockman Gallery. They ran it from 1967 to 1989. They got the idea after a trip across the United States and Canada in 1966. They named the gallery after their grandmother, Della Brockman.

The gallery was very important. It showed the work of African American artists. These artists came from Los Angeles and other places. At that time, it was hard for Black artists to show and sell their art. The Brockman Gallery gave them a rare chance.

Some of the local artists who showed their work there included:

• Charles Wilbert White
• Betye Saar
• John Outterbridge
• Noah Purifoy
• Tim Washington
• Doyle Lane
• Marion Epting

By the early 1970s, the brothers made the gallery more than just a place to see art. It became a community art space. They even hosted a festival in Leimert Park.

In 2019, Dale Davis gave the Brockman Gallery's old records and papers to the Los Angeles Public Library. This helps people learn about its history.

Awards and Recognition

Dale Brockman Davis has received special awards for his art.

• Leimert Park Art Festival, First Place in Sculpture

Where His Art Has Been Shown

Dale Davis's art has been displayed in many galleries.

• Gallery Negra
• Bob Jefferson Gallery, Oakland
• Ankrum Gallery, Los Angeles
• Brockman Gallery, Los Angeles

Group Art Shows

He has also been part of many group exhibitions.

• California Black Craftsmen, Mills College Art Gallery, 1970
• Eleven from California, Studio Museum in Harem, 1972
• Los Angeles 1972: A Panorama of Black Artists, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1972
• Collage and Assemblage, Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, 1975
• Black Art: The LA Connection, Los Angeles Convention Center, 1982
• Artists Teachers, Museum of African American Art, Santa Monica, 1983
• Watts: Art and Social Change in Los Angeles, Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, 2003
• L.A. Object and David Hammons Body Prints, Tilton Gallery, 2006
• Distinctly Los Angeles: An African American Perspective, M. Hanks Gallery, Santa Monica, 2009
• Now Dig This! Art & Black Los Angeles, 1960-1980, Hammer Museum, 2011
• Places of Validation, California African American Museum, 2011
• Diverted Destruction 6, California African American Museum and Loft at Liz's, 2013
• New Digs/Old Finds: Dale Davis, Assemblage Sculptures (solo exhibition), Loft2, San Pedro, 2019