Curated by legendary Dayton artist Willis “Bing” Davis, the exhibition is in the SMoA’s McGregor Gallery.
The “Black Lives as Subject Matter II” exhibition in 2021-22 at SMoA drew more than 2,100 visitors and earned a Best Exhibition Award from the Ohio Museums Association, which made Davis eager to work with the SMoA staff again.
“This staff brought home one of the most inspiring exhibitions in years. It beat out organizations like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” said Davis, who has been displaying his work for 6.5 decades. “Art is more than just pretty pictures. There is vision and creativity and this addresses these. The concept speaks to me.”
The exhibition’s opening came just after the snowstorm that dumped around 13 inches of snow on Springfield, and it was the perfect opportunity to get out of the house for Takiisha Iserhien, who has been to the Bing Davis studio in Dayton. She was glad to see his influence in her town with art that doesn’t always get displayed.
“I see myself and my experiences and culture,” she said of the exhibition. “It’s positive and beautiful for the soul.”
The mediums are as varied as the subjects and include digital art, charcoal art, pastel and acrylic paintings, cut fabric, mixed media, photography, collages and more.
Cincinnatian Jimi Johnson’s art may be familiar to SMoA visitors, since he had his own solo exhibition in 2016 and later won an award in 2025’s annual “Juried Art Exhibition.” Johnson said he had special pride being included in this exhibition.
“I like the idea as African Americans we can show our work for a wide audience,” he said.
Johnson’s painting “Yes! We Won” was inspired by his late daughter and depicts a track and field athlete finishing a race with the American flag and Statue of Liberty’s torch in the background. He said the painting is a tribute to his daughter and combines several ideas.
“In my paintings there’s always a dualism,” he said.
Springfield artist Nathan Conner’s series “The Haitians Montage: A Dream Deferred,” earned visitors’ attention. The trio of works represents the Haitian experience in Springfield, the looming potential of deportation and the chaos in Haiti they left behind.
“That’s humanity there,” said James Pate, one of the other participating artists of the series.
Adrienne Billue of Dayton was invited to the exhibition by a participating artist and said it was beautiful and she was glad she came, especially after seeing work like Conner’s.
“I wasn’t expecting something like this. I’m glad this is a medium for releasing pent-up emotions through art. It’s a good outlet,” she said.
“Black Lives as Subject Matter III” will be up through May 17. The SMoA is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays.
Admission is $5 for adults and free for SMoA members and students. For more information, visit springfieldart.net.
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