FSU’s Dustin Davis’ Metal Sculpture Wins “Best of Show” in Online Art Competition

Oct 2, 2019 9:10 AM

Frostburg State University’s Professor of Visual Arts Dustin Davis has been awarded “Best of Show” for his sculpture “Yellow Abstract,” which was featured in “The HUMAN Figure,” September-October online show by the Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery, one of several honors Davis’ work has received in recent months.

The Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery celebrates the modernity of creative contemporary and traditional art through online art competitions. Artwork submitted for “The HUMAN Figure” was required to represent qualities that are inherent in the human figure, such as proportions of the body and expressiveness. Artists had to demonstrate strong technical skill in execution of their work.

“Yellow Abstract” is a metal assemblage that shows the figure in motion. The sculpture’s design resembles a human figure skating across an icy pond. Davis’ use of yellow makes it stand out from its surroundings and grabs the attention of viewers. Davis explained that he uses scrap metal for the sake of sustainability and for how the metal is shaped during the recycling process.

“In my current series of metal sculptures,” said Davis, “most of the works are not planned out from their beginning to their conclusion; rather they develop as each piece of the sculpture is welded to the next piece.”

Davis’ work has been exhibited in many international and national exhibitions. “Yellow Abstract” also won an Honorable Mention Award in the Second Annual Mind Body Spirit Art Exhibition at J. Mane Gallery, an online gallery whose mission is to promote the work of emerging and experienced artists. Davis has received two awards in the 3-Dimensional Category from the LightSpaceTime online gallery: second place in the July exhibit “Primary Colors” and third place in the summer exhibit “555 Special Exhibition.” His work has also been reviewed in the Baltimore Sun and displayed in the online galleries Light Space & Time, Fusion and Fine Arts America.

Davis received his B.S. from Northland College and his M.F.A. in Art and Design specializing in 3-D Design from the University of Wisconsin.

For more information, contact the FSU Department of Visual Arts at 301-687-4797.