Elizabeth Lampman Davis is a local illustrator and writer with a special interest in diversity, imagination, and all things nature. Her artistic style is focused on people and light, with an emphasis on creative play and the outdoors. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and was recently awarded first place in the statewide 2019 Rising Kite Contest for illustration and third place for picture book text.

In this solo exhibition of her digital illustrations, Lampman Davis strives to increase the visibility of children who are underrepresented children's literature. “Of all the children's books published in the U.S. in 2019, only 11.9% featured an African American child as a main character. Further, 2019 child main characters were 8.7% Asian, 5.3% Latinx, and 1% Native American/First Nations. And a tiny 3.4% of all kid lit last year starred a differently-abled child. To me, these are unacceptable statistics,” she said.

Through her artwork and writing, Lampman Davis helps kids see themselves featured as the main character and shows that heroes come in all colors and abilities.  Her illustrations are backdropped by imaginative, fantastic, nature-saturated elements and driven by the themes of curiosity and exploration. Some of the works presented in this exhibition showcase her creative process for character development, from pencil and paper to digital rendering.

Centered around increasing diversity, Lampman Davis’s words and pictures resonate with children’s laughter and mischievous fun. From scenes of hiking, biking and campfire sing-alongs, to tree-climbing, story-time, and cloud gazing, Lampman Davis’s artwork is a true celebration of childhood and a reminder that our differences are what makes us strong.

This exhibition is not just “family friendly,” kids are heartily encouraged to tour the show which can be viewed from Jan. 27 – April 5, 2021 at the Artport Gallery or in COCA’s Online Gallery at cocaonlinegallery.zenfolio.com.

Click here to download the exhibit Treasure Hunt. It's fun for kids and adults!

This is one of many rotating exhibitions curated by the Council on Culture & Arts on behalf of the City of Tallahassee as part of the Art in Public Places program. The Artport Gallery itself is located in the Tallahassee International Airport, 3300 Capital Circle SW, and is open daily from 8:00 am until 11:30 pm. The first 30 minutes of parking is free for both the short-term parking lot. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing when visiting the gallery.