Beautiful. Breathtaking. Bold. Bright. These words describe the Black excellence displayed within The August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s (AWAACC) newest exhibition, “Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art.” On display until the end of August, the collectors, Kerry and C. Betty Davis, have loaned from their private collection 67 works of art by revered and influential African American artists and photographers of the 20th century, including Romare Bearden, Beverly Buchanan, Elizabeth Catlett, Ernest T. Crichlow, Sam Gilliam, Loïs Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Gordon Parks, Alma Thomas and Charles White. After serving in the United States Air Force, Kerry Davis embarked on a career with the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier. He began collecting art when he purchased his first house in Atlanta. “I did not want a regular picture,” says Davis. “I wanted something that reflected my ethnicity.”

Photo Credit: Madison Stokes/Pittsburgh Independent