FACULTY NEWS: Damon Davis Recognized by CBS for Social Justice Work
Damon Davis (F ’20) is an award-winning, post-disciplinary artist based in St. Louis, Missouri, and a 2020 VCFA MFA in Film alumnx and current Film faculty member.
Davis has been engaged at the forefront of social justice work in America through his continued artistic exploration. Davis was recently featured by CBS Saturday Morning about his work surrounding the 2014 police shooting of unarmed Black teen Michael Brown, and the Ferguson, Missouri protests that followed—which occurred 10 years ago this month.
As a reflection and response, Davis created the 2014 public art piece “All Hands on Deck”—a series of photographs of raised hands plastered on boarded-up windows in Ferguson. “All Hands on Deck” is now featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture. In 2017, Davis and Sabaah Folayan co-directed and premiered Whose Streets? at the Sundance Film Festival, a documentary film about the death of Michael Brown and the Ferguson protests. The film was recognized with nominations at the Critics’ Choice awards and the Gotham Independent Film awards.
“Damon has been at the forefront of inspiring conversations about the shooting and its aftermath through his art, music, and interdisciplinary work,” says Interim VCFA President Andrew Ramsammy. “His contributions are a powerful example of the intersection of art and social justice, and how creative expression can challenge, heal, and inspire change.”
In 2023, Davis continued the conversation in St. Louis with his public sculptural installation “Pillars of the Valley,” a mile-long monument to the predominantly Black neighborhood of Mill Creek Valley that was displaced during the demolition of the city’s Midtown in the 1950s.
“Damon’s work continues to resonate deeply, not just in the communities directly impacted by the events in Ferguson, but also within the broader discourse on race and justice in America,” Ramsammy continues. “His dedication to exploring these critical issues through multiple artistic lenses is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary approaches in fostering meaningful dialogue and understanding.”
Watch Davis’s feature on CBS Saturday Morning here.