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Few people have impacted the arts in Southwest Ohio quite like Willis “Bing” Davis.
Few people have impacted the arts in Southwest Ohio quite like Willis “Bing” Davis. An African American artist, educator and community activist from Dayton, Davis’ artwork is known for its incorporation of African and African American themes, as well as its focus on social justice issues. The film, co-produced by Ann Rotolante and Rodney Veal, premieres in October of 2024.
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Willis "Bing" Davis: Reach High & Reach Back is presented by your local public television station.

Reach High & Reach Back Preview
Preview | 1mVideo has Closed Captions
Few people have impacted the arts in Southwest Ohio quite like Willis “Bing” Davis. An African American artist, educator and community activist from Dayton, Davis’ artwork is known for its incorporation of African and African American themes, as well as its focus on social justice issues. The film, co-produced by Ann Rotolante and Rodney Veal, premieres in October of 2024.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Willis "Bing" Davis: Reach High & Reach Back
Willis "Bing" Davis: Reach High & Reach Back is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Bing Davis has been one of the leaders across the United States, African American artists.
That man is an artist through to his bone.
His work kind of just speaks to you.
He's able to transmit a wealth of knowledge to several generations.
What Bing wants people to do is wrestle with themselves and not his work.
Bing's work is an affirmation of humanity.
It was very important to acknowledge self.
It was very important to acknowledge Africa.
We're all a combination of many things, and Bing honors his African roots, but he also honors his Appalachian roots.
What will your legacy be?
Will you be known as an artist?
Educator?
Community activist?
Why not all three of them?
(upbeat music)
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Clip | 1m 44s | It can be nerve-wracking to share your work. (1m 44s)
Reach High & Reach Back Preview
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Preview | 1m | Few people have impacted the arts in Southwest Ohio quite like Willis “Bing” Davis. (1m)
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Clip | 1m 32s | What if you've been told you're not artistic enough to be an artist? (1m 32s)
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Clip | 1m 26s | Pigeonholing art into a 9 to 5 schedule doesn't always work. (1m 26s)
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Clip | 1m 17s | Finding your flow is personal, but it's an important part of creating art. (1m 17s)
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Clip | 5m | It's easy to get stuck when you're working creatively, but how do you get into the flow? (5m)
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Clip | 4m 7s | Using found objects can be a way of expanding one's appreciation of life and art. (4m 7s)
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Clip | 2m 11s | Art can be a great tool for expression. (2m 11s)
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Clip | 7m 25s | There are many ways to work with clay and, in some ways, it's a microcosm for our society. (7m 25s)
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Clip | 1m 2s | Being a professional artist isn't all about the art. (1m 2s)
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Clip | 2m 2s | Willis "Bing" Davis knew he wanted to be an artist when he was 5 years old. (2m 2s)
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Clip | 1m 50s | Visual Arts, Dance, Drama, Writing, Spoken Word... they all work together. (1m 50s)
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Clip | 1m 7s | The arts often spur shared experiences, which can open doors between people. (1m 7s)
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Clip | 1m 52s | Art isn't a universal language, but it can be used to understand other cultures. (1m 52s)
Adornment & Understanding Others
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Clip | 4m 5s | Willis "Bing" Davis creates wearable art, mostly from found objects. (4m 5s)
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Willis "Bing" Davis: Reach High & Reach Back is presented by your local public television station.