ABOUT
Joan Élan Davis is an established artist with over thirty national museum and gallery exhibitions and numerous solo exhibitions. Her paintings have been included in good company with artists such as Bartlett, Cassat, Krasner, Matisse and Tamayo to name a few. In addition, her paintings are included in private and corporate collections throughout the world. Davis has been commissioned for hotel and restaurant projects, exclusive private residences, fundraising efforts and auctions. Formally trained in New York and Connecticut, Davis now resides in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe where her surroundings provide inspiration for many of her varying series.
Joan’s organic forms stem from her imagination and her colors reflect the emotion and energy of an experience. Her abstract process includes using cardboard and floor work and her more defined floral pieces include layers of charcoal and graphite drawing intermixed with colorful glazes of paint. Joan elan Davis currently shows in NYC, LA, Palm Desert, Lake Tahoe and San Francisco as well as internationally.
She works out of two private studios in Lake Tahoe and San Francisco and exhibits at her own 3000 square foot exclusive art showroom at the San Francisco Design Center. No matter the style or series, each and every painting by Joan elan Davis pleasantly evokes a timeless sense of elan and joy of life.
Education
B.S.J. Ohio University, Athens, OH 1985
Silvermine School of Art, New Canaan, CT 1995-96
San Francisco School of Art, San Francisco, CA 1997-98
Solo Exhibitions
2014 JY Fine Art Gallery, Gardens Grown, Suzou China
2014 Adobe House, San Franciso, CA Design Showroom, San Francisco CA
2014 Iron Horse, San Francisco, CA Design Showroom, San Francisco CA
2013 Baker Knapp & Tubbs, The Kohler Company, San Francisco CA Design Showroom
2013 Bo Co Concepts, Shanghai China
2012 Cabana Home, Mill Valley, CA
Aug 2012 Lake Tahoe Summerfest Opening Gala, Lake Tahoe, Nevada Solo exhibition of Abstract Paintings, poster signing.
Dec 2011 Flowers & Birds exhibition, solo show of floral works by Joan élan Davis, Suzhou China.
Jan 2009/10 McGuire Furniture, solo show with one year of rotating 14 works combined with high end modern furnishings. SF location. Exhibition includes designer events with Burberry and more.
July 2008 Lets Play Outside, Original Abstract Paintings by Joan elan Davis, Studio Chameleon, Newport Beach, CA.
Mar 2008 Abstract Landscapes, Joan elan Davis, Lisa Smith Curations, 88 Kearny Building, SF, CA.
Feb 2008 Natural Notations, Axis Gallery, San Francisco, CA Presentation made to CCAC students and faculty.
April 2007 Informality, Works on paper, by Joan élan Davis, Sloan Miyasato Showrooms, SFDC, San Francisco, Ca
Oct 2007 Recent Notational Abstractions, by Joan elan Davis, Shorenstein Properties, 425 Market Street,
San Francisco, CA Curated by Casey & Associates.
Oct 2006 Natural Notations, Paintings by Joan élan Davis, Citicorp Building, One Sansome, San Francisco, CA Through December. Sponsored by Case Art Company.
Oct 2005 New Works by Joan Elan Davis, The Simmons Gallery 565 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA
Catalogue.
Sept 2004 Gardens Past, Shorenstein Properties 45 Fremont Street, sponsored by Case Art Company,
San Francisco, CA.
Oct 2003 The Paradise Paintings Eleanor Austerer Gallery, Recent works by Joan Elan Davis, San
Francisco, CA
Oct 2002 New Works by Joan Elan Davis, North Beach Gallery San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Mar 2001 Paintings by Joan Elan Davis, Artsmart/Linda Zweig Fine Art, San Francisco, CA.
Oct 2000 Paintings by Joan Elan Davis, Lionheart Gallery, Hyatt Regency, Louisville, KY
Nov 1994 Joan Elan Davis, Paintings, Opera Columbus, Columbus, Ohio
Sept 1994 Energy in Color: Paintings by Joan Elan Davis, La Vec Tower Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
International Exhibition
March 2003-05 A Celebration of American Women in Art –
Curated by American Ambassador to Hungary, Nancy G. Brinker and Chair of the Board, National Museum of Womenin the Arts, Washington, D.C. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay. American Women in Art at the private American Embassy in Budapest. Artists include Jennifer Bartlett, Lee Krasner, Grace Hartigan, Joan Elan Davis. Catalogue.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Nov 2008 Gallery Abstract Landscape Artists, Desert Art Collection Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
Mar 2008 Female Painters, Studio Chameleon, Newport Beach, Ca
Feb 2008 San Francisco Design Center Galleria, Four Artists, Galleria, SFDC, SF, CA
April 2007 National Upholstering Company, Local Artists, San Francisco Design Center, SF, CA
Feb 2006 National Association of Women Artists, NYC , NY
Dec 2005 Hudson Street Gallery, New Found Talent, NYC, NY
Nov 2005 Long Beach Arts, 2005 Open National Exhibition, Long Beach, CA
Aug 2005 Gallery 1212, Abstraction, Burlingame, CA
May 2005 Bank of America, Women’s Work Now, San Francisco, CA. Assistant Curator Joan élan Davis.
Nov. 2004 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Staff Exhibition, San Francsico, CA
Aug 2004 The Simmons Gallery, Hearts and Gardens, 565 Sutter Street, SF, CA
May 2004 Chandler Gallery (formerly Museum West), The Sunshine Show, San Francisco, CA
April 2004 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art , Council Auction, CA
Oct 2003 NationalAssociation of Women Artists Gallery, The Annual Members Exhibition, 5th Avenue, NYC.
Catalogue in archives of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC.
June 2003 Eleanor Austerer Gallery, Abstraction and Surrealism,565 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA. Group exhibition with Roberto Lauro, Francesca Genoves. Vladimir Cora.
Feb 2003 National Association of Women Artists “Illuminations”, a Juried Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, 928 Broadway, New York, NY
Nov 2002 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York. National Association of Women Artists
Slide Exhibition of New Members Work.
May 2002 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Auction, San Francisco, CA.
April 2002 San Francisco Art Institute Auction, San Francisco, CA
Mar-May 2002 Chatahoochee Valley Art Museum Biennial, La Grange, GA
Nov 2001 Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, MO
Jan 2001 The Project Rm., Ebert Gallery San Francisco, CA
Dec 2000 The San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands CA
Sept 2000 Three Paintings, Three Women, Sightings Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
July-Sept 2000 The Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs, MS.
July 2000 The Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, CA. Curator Paule Anglim, Paule Anglim Gallery, San Francisco, CA
June 2000 Southeastern Community College, Whiteville, NC Curator Gallery Director of Studio 107.
May 2000 Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, OR
Mar 2000 Nathan B. Rosen Museum and Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
Feb 2000 eklektikos Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Jan 2000 Freeport Art Center, Art in Bloom, Freeport, IL
Jan 2000 Period Gallery, Omaha, NE
Nov 1999 San Francisco School of Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Sept 1998-99 Design Library, Houston, Texas
Oct 1997 Mark Twain Library, Redding, CT (Juried by Director of the Ridgefield Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut.)
Oct 1994 Copeland Garey Fine Acrts, Columbus, Ohio
Selected Public and Private Commissions
2015 Reno Philharmonic, Hand Painted Violin
2008 Private Commission, David and Amy Doyle
2005 Hearts and Heroes, San Francisco General Hospital, Valentine’s Day Fundraiser, tabletop sculpture
2005 Santa Rosa Showcase Home Tour, David Mewes Collection , Santa Rosa California
2004 Hearts of San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital. Heart selected for sponsorhip by San Francisco Magazine.
2004 Heirloom Furniture/Century Furniture Showrooms, exclusive artist for the San Francisco Showroom.
Several large scale private painting commissions for private collectors. 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
Awards and Art Related Information
Membership to the National Association of Women Artists Inc., New York City, NY 2002 Honorary Vice Presidents include, Mary Cassat, Louise Nevelson, Alice Neel, Judy Chicago
Nominated Member of the National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
Who’s Who of American Women 2002-2003-2004-2005
Who’s Who in America 2003
Special Recognition for Excellence in Painting, Abstract ’99, Period Gallery, Omaha, NE
Recent Publicity, Reviews and Publications
Joan elan Davis’, Garden Violin up for Bid!,” Channel 4 TV News, Reno Nevada, regarding the Reno Philharmonic Auction of hand painted violins for the Auction 2015.
Tahoe Quarterly, Joan elan Davis, Painter, February Issue, 2009
Newport Beach Magazine, Joan elan Davis at the Studio Chameleon Gallery, July, 2008
San Francisco Chronicle, Pink Pages, “Their Back: Hearts and Heroes”.
California Home +Design, Seascapes, 11th Annual Home Tour 2005, October 2005
Marin Home Magazine, art featured on cover and main cover story, August/September 2004
Hearts in San Francisco, Hardcover book featuring the artists hearts done for San Francisco GeneralHospital, 2004.
Market Week, The San Francisco Design Center Publication, Keynote Speaker, Century Furniture Showrooms, August 2004
The Bonanza, Lake Tahoe, New Artists of the North Shore, Incline Village, Nevada
California Home and Design Magazine, “High Tea Party Fundraiser for San Francisco General Hospital,”
Bay Area, SF
Art in the World Radio Broadcast 90.3 FM New York, New York
Joan Elan Davis on West Coast Abstraction. Interview with Dr. Stella Russell.April 11, 2003
Catalogue: A Celebration of American Women in Art. Introduction by Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker and Chair of the Board, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay 2003
WPIX Channel 5 Evening Magazine News, San Francisco “Interview with
Joan Elan Davis at North Beach Gallery ”, 7 p.m. October 19, 2002
Limited Edition Prints
Bentley Publishing, California since 2007
Bruce McGaw Graphics, NY since 2008
Artfully Yours, Inc. “San Francisco Collages”, San Francisco, CA 2002, 2005
Next Monet, Limited Edition Prints, San Francisco, California 2001
Select Design Projects In 2005
McGuire Showrooms, San Francisco, CA
Chevron Energy Solutions, San Francisco, CA
Four Seasons Hotel, Private Residences
Santa Rosa Showcase Home
Seascapes, Showcase Home, San Francisco Junior League
Art Related Volunteer, Community Experience
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Children’s Docent, 1999-present
Artist in Residence, 2004/2005 school year, Brandeis Hillel Day School, San Francisco
Temple Emanu-El Food Pantry, Art Project Coordinator with Preschool Children
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Family Day Volunteer doing art projects with parents and their children.
Created and Implemented Kids Creations, Brandeis Hillel Day School and Schools of the Sacred Heart,
Stuart Hall for Boys, art projects for children ages K-5 for the annual fundraiser
San Francisco Art Institute Council, Chair Fall Lecture Series and Co-Secretary for 2003-04.
Art Related Donations
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Art Institute
Hamlin School for Girls
Jewish Family and Children Services
Hospitality House
Brandeis Hillel Day School
San Francisco Day School
Schools of the Sacred Heart
The Claire Lilienthal School
Edgewood
Mayas Music Therapy Program for Children
Selected Public Collections
American Embassay, Budapest, Hungary
Chevron Energy Solutions, Chevron Texaco, San Francisco, CA
Sherman Clay Pianos, San Francisco, CA
Artfully Yours Inc., San Francisco, CA
HiediSays Corporation, San Francisco, CA
The Leanne Bell Collection, Manhattan, New York
(Works are included in corporate and private collections in San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Chicago, IL,
Palm Beach, FL, Houston, TX, Kona, HI and London, England.)
Rhonda Hirata, Director of Marketing at the San Francisco Design Center, San Francisco, CA