Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art

Comprising 67 spectacular works of art, Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art is the culmination of a 35-year journey into a realm that few have explored with such passion and dedication—the world of art and art collecting.

Memories & Inspiration draws generously from the Davis Collection, a treasury of artworks located in a private home in Atlanta, Georgia, primarily by African American artists but also featuring some works from other parts of the African diaspora. This landmark collection was assembled by Kerry and Betty Davis, an ordinary working class couple who happily sacrificed material goods and comforts in order to surround themselves with the drawings, paintings, prints, and sculptures they loved. Guided by a passion for collecting and by their extensive knowledge of art—as well as a desire to preserve cultural memories and inspire their community—the Davises have built one of the richest private collections of African American art in the world. The Memories & Inspiration traveling exhibition is their way of sharing some of its highlights with art lovers outside of Atlanta.

Kerry and Betty Davis

Longtime residents of urban Atlanta, Kerry and his wife Betty do not fit the historical stereotypes of art collector and connoisseur. Neither is from an affluent (or academic) background: Kerry is a retired postman, while Betty worked for a local TV news station. Their encyclopedic knowledge of African American art and artists draws from a lifetime of private study rather than university coursework, and their enormous art collection—gathered piece by piece over decades of otherwise frugal living—is (literally) housed in the Davises’ modest split-level home in downtown Atlanta.

Unlike many collectors, who seek out only the most well-known or on-trend works and artists, Kerry and Betty have always looked for deeper meanings in the art they acquire; whether social, cultural, historical, or personal. Some works appealed to them because of a childhood memory, a deeply-held conviction or interest, or a sense of friendship or affinity for the artist—in addition to their cultural significance and beauty as works of art. The Davis Collection, as a whole, is a vivid embodiment of the diverse tastes, interests, passions, and friendships of Kerry and Betty Davis, and this integrity is at the root of its fascination and unique power.