Western alumnus exhibits art in the Libraries

Western alumnus Michael Davenport has been creating art for more than 50 years, and some of that art is now on exhibit at Western Libraries as part of a retrospective of Davenport’s work titled “An Artist Never Stops Growing.”

Having originally begun his art education as a student in San Francisco in 1969, Davenport credits his return to college at Western Washington University at the age of 35 as having had a particularly positive effect on both his life and his career. Michael graduated from Western in 1989 with a degree in fine arts, and like many Western grads, Davenport reflects back on his time at Western with fondness.

“I enjoyed every day here. Each day I always thought: ‘I am so lucky to be here.’ Everyone in my family is a Western grad. They are all gainfully employed and they all love what they do,” explains Davenport.

While Davenport was a student at Western, he was introduced to the director of the Tutoring Center who was very impressed with his art, and this eventually led to Western purchasing three of Davenport’s pieces: "Floating Cars," "Mr. Applehead" and "Bus Stop." Because of the importance of Western to Davenport, having this retrospective at Western Libraries has personal significance.

“For me, it is going full circle," he said. "Here I am now having a show right next to the Tutoring Center where everything started. I feel really honored to have this show. To me, it’s probably the most significant show I have ever had because of my connection to Western and to the arts. It’s also a rare privilege to be able to show to students. What an honor.”

When asked about his art, Davenport explains: “My art is about communication.” He believes that art is a “catalyst” for people’s own thoughts and visions, and that the best way to view his work is to: “…take plenty of time and relax with it. Take a chair, sit down, and clear your mind to let the images begin to sink in or just to be seen at all.”

“An Artist Never Stops Growing” showcases some of Davenport’s pastels, acrylics, and oil paintings in Libraries Galleries One, Two and Three through March 6. Also of note, beginning in February, Davenport will be hosting a companion exhibition with additional pieces related to his show at Western at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden.

For more information about this show or about exhibiting art in the Libraries, contact Leslie.Hall@wwu.edu or Michelle.Becker@wwu.edu.