Our fellow art-fair artist, abstract painter, Denny Davis of Gary, Indiana died a few hours ago. He had a stem-cell transplant a few weeks ago as a last chance to survive. There were complications. Details later. Please share with fellow artists.
— Nancy Camden
Denny Davis, who battled leukemia for a number of years, died on January 3, 2010. He was a wonderful abstract acrylic painter from near Gary Indiana and will be missed greatly by hundreds in the art community.
— Elaine Lanoue
Denny was an amazing inspiration to anyone who knew him. He fought the good fight with feistiness and humor and I will forever miss his presence in my life and at shows. His paintings were like fire and his ability to continue painting throughout his illness is what kept him going. RIP Denny!
You were a one of a kind human being!
— Patricia Hecker
I have known Denny, casually, for decades. I had the pleasure of having the booth next to him at the Bruce Museum Show this Fall. We had some great conversations. He kept me laughing for the entire weekend. What a great sense of humor. I was looking forward to being next to him next year if we were both in the show. Thanks, Denny, for letting me know you a little better! I guess I’ll have to wait a while to be next to you at a show.
— Rick Preston
I met Denny Davis, the first year I did Coconut Grove , every bit of 20 years ago. He still had wooden toys and was a great neighbor.
I was so excited to be in the BIG LEAGUES , i was pretty overwhelmed by what I saw as worldly sophiticates all around me. I had been doing “shows” since 1975 but of the mall variety, and was known for my stirring reditions of snauzers and other unruly beasts, including two-year olds from life.
Yes I was a portrait artist. If any one wonders about the mooching quality of my sheep faces…
But there I was soooo excited to be where the streets were surely paved with gold.My brand-new light dome had that new from the box , fresh plastic smell. At breakdown a huge 300 lb guy , sitting in his food vender truck , with his large crew found my awning to be in his way and was shoving it .
So having spent some of my formative years in NYC I was naturally offering to drag the guy out of his truck and beat him up.
Denny hearing the raucus ( and quite possibly some foul language,my bad,) came out from behind his booth to intercede.
He got between us and saved the day and no virgin light domes or food venders were harmed.My hero.
Denny was the kind of guy to have your back, hold you back in a losing fight, or just listen.
Later in 2008 he told me about his illness, and who knew that there were thousands of jokes about cancer? One that sticks in my mind was “why do they nail the lids on coffins? So the doctors can’t give you anymore Chemo!
Just last October,at the Bruce, a group of us had a loud discussion of politics,at dinner , and I am proud to say I agreed with Denny 1000%.
I miss him so much.
— Beth Crowder
Dear friends I was an architecture classmate of Denny’s at Miami University, Class of ’65 and am very sorry to learn he has passed away. I briefly re-connected with Denny by email some years ago, having previously heard about his antiwar exploits in the army. He told me he had become quite a successful artist, turning out and marketing the kind of painting shown on the memorial site, which brought a healthy but not excessive income. I guess he found it more satisfying than practising architecture, in which he was very good as a student.
Since I was an active war resistor and political exile myself, Denny came to my attention and admiration for his bravery in the 70s, soon after he wrote “GI Joe’s a Red” a copy of which is difficult to get hold of now.
Memorials posted here on the NAIA site and Member Forum.