Harry A. Davis

Harry A. Davis 91, of Indianapolis, died Thursday, February 9, 2006. Born in Hillsboro Indiana in 1914, he moved to Brownsburg in 1920. He entered Herron School of Art in 1933 and earned his BFA in 1938, the same year he won Prix de Rome in Painting. He spent the third year with the academy in New York City. In 1941 he was named Artist-in-residence at Beloit College, Wisconsin. After enlisting in the Army in 1942, he designed camouflage in North Africa and in 1944 became a combat artist with the Fifth Army Historical unit in Italy. The drawings and paintings completed during this time are property of the War Department at the Pentagon. His studio was located in Brownsburg until 1960. At that time, he began an ongoing series of paintings of landmarks that interested him and has since completed over 500 of these paintings. For 37 years he taught drawing and painting at the Herron School of Art and was proclaimed Professor Emeritus. In 1971, the school recognized his 25th year of teaching with a stipend from the Milliken Fund for research in England. For the Indiana Sesquicentennial in 1972 he presented an exhibition entitled "My City" at the Herron gallery. A sabbatical in 1975 enabled him to paint in Southern Indiana for his "A Segment of the Historic Ohio River Valley" as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebration in 1976. For a traveling show in 1983, "Here and There; The Italian Influence", he compared buildings of Indiana to those of Italy. Because of his fascination with hoosier architecture, he received the Sandi Servaas Memorial Award from Historic Landmarks of Indiana. Survivors include his wife, Lois Davis; one son, Mark Davis and wife Elizabeth; four grandchildren: Jeramie, McKenzie, Eli and Delaney. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Joanna Marks. Memorial Services will be held a Northwood Christian Church on Thursday, February 16, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. with the Rev. Christine Wratton. Interment will be in Crown Hill Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Crown Hill Funeral Home. The family prefers Memorials to Northwood Christian Church or Herron School of Art.