Impressionist-style landscape painting created by Dowdal Davis in 1931. Davis was born in Independence, Kansas, in 1913. While a student at Independence High School, Davis showed a talent for art, leading the Daubers Club and creating cartoons for the yearbook. In 1931, he entered the Emporia Art Contest, though it is unknown if this is the painting he used in the competition. After graduating in 1931, Davis attended the University of Kansas, where he was involved in desegregation efforts at the school. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1936. He went on to become the general manager of the Kansas City Call, a newspaper serving the black community of Kansas City, and served as president of the Negro Newspaper Publishers Association. President Harry Truman named Davis to the President's Committee on Government Contracts, a group that reviewed Federal contracts for discriminatory actions. In 1955, Kansas basketball coach Phog Allen enlisted Davis' help in recruiting Wilt Chamberlain to play basketball at the university. Allen believed that demonstrating the success of the university's black alumni would influence Chamberlain's decision. Davis continued to be a leader in the black community until his untimely death due to a heart attack in 1957.

Creator: Davis, Dowdal
Date: 1931