The Midwest Museum of American Art is pleased to announce the recent gift of five (5) works by Glen C. Davies from Glen C. Davies and the Kohler Foundation.
Glen Davies (1950) was born in Chicago, and attended the School of the Art Institute there during the late 1960’s where the intrigue of the great museums and the influence of Chicago’s homegrown pop genre “imagism” combined to set the stage for his grotesque figural fantasies, exploring themes of spiritual conflict, and the journey toward enlightenment. After fulfilling a childhood dream of traveling with the circus, Davies worked for a short time as a billboard artist and sign painter, eventually opening a mural painting business. After receiving an MFA in painting from the University of Illinois, Davies has divided his time between studio pursuits and a variety of alternative employments including circus/carnival show painter, sideshow banner artist, professional muralist, curator, and educator.
The Kohler Foundation was established in 1940. As Kohler Foundation has expanded and grown, so has their support for the arts and education. Since the 1970’s, the preservation of art environments, folk architecture, and collections by self-taught artists has been a major focus of Kohler Foundation. The Kohler Foundation is active outside of Wisconsin with preserved art environments in Louisiana, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, and Georgia. Over the past several years, gifts of art have been made to nearly 100 institutions ranging from prestigious museums to colleges and universities and other non-profits both small and large. This ensures the art will be cared for in perpetuity and made accessible to the public. Collections have included art created by self-taught and relatively unknown artists as well as prominent artists who are recognized regionally and/or nationally.