Talmadge Davis
Encyclopedia
Talmadge Davis was a Cherokee
artist, who explored historical and military themes in his highly naturalistic paintings.
. His paternal grandmother was full-blood Cherokee traditionalist and midwife, Sallie Toney Davis (1895–1988), the great-great-granddaughter of Sequoyah
. Later in life, Talmadge painted a portrait of his grandmother, Sallie Toney Davis, Quiet Dignity: My Grandma.
He served in the US Army from 1982 to 1987 in Germany.
He died on November 3, 2005 of a Heart Aneurysm and was laid to rest at Fort Gibson
Oklahoma National Cemetery.
and was also awarded the Cherokee Medal of Honor for helping bring Cherokee culture to the public.
Many of his works of art depicted scenes of military themes, inspired by his own experiences in the army. The United States Military Academy at West Point commissioned a painting from him for their the two hundredth anniversary of their founding. His painting, Walkabout-A Warrior's Spirit portrays a historical person, Billy Walkabout
, a Cherokee full-blood who was the most highly decorated Indian veteran of the Vietnam War
. One of his most famous paintings is Brothers Gone but Not Forgotten, an acrylic painting from 2000, which portrayed a grieving man in a wheelchair touching the Vietnam War Memorial and faint images of fallen comrades can be seen in man's reflection. In this painting, Talmadge painted the names of each of the 238 Native Americans who died in the Vietnam War.
Davis' work was part of a traveling exhibit that was featured at the National Museum of the American Indian
in Washington DC. He exhibited and regularly won awards at the Cherokee Heritage Center
, Tulsa Indian Festival, Wichita Indian Market, and the Southwest Classic Art Show.
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
artist, who explored historical and military themes in his highly naturalistic paintings.
Personal
Talmadge Davis was born May 30, 1962. His parents were Robert Lee Davis and Patricia (Horton) Davis, of Porum, OklahomaPorum, Oklahoma
Porum is a town in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 725 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Porum is located at ....
. His paternal grandmother was full-blood Cherokee traditionalist and midwife, Sallie Toney Davis (1895–1988), the great-great-granddaughter of Sequoyah
Sequoyah
Sequoyah , named in English George Gist or George Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible...
. Later in life, Talmadge painted a portrait of his grandmother, Sallie Toney Davis, Quiet Dignity: My Grandma.
He served in the US Army from 1982 to 1987 in Germany.
He died on November 3, 2005 of a Heart Aneurysm and was laid to rest at Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson, now located in Oklahoma and designated Fort Gibson Historical Site, guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 until 1890...
Oklahoma National Cemetery.
Art work and honors
Talmadge was given the title of Master Artist by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, OklahomaMuskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
and was also awarded the Cherokee Medal of Honor for helping bring Cherokee culture to the public.
Many of his works of art depicted scenes of military themes, inspired by his own experiences in the army. The United States Military Academy at West Point commissioned a painting from him for their the two hundredth anniversary of their founding. His painting, Walkabout-A Warrior's Spirit portrays a historical person, Billy Walkabout
Billy Walkabout
Billy Walkabout is thought to be the most decorated Native American soldier of the Vietnam War. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, five Silver Stars , ten Bronze Star five with Valor device, one Army Commendation Medals , and six Purple...
, a Cherokee full-blood who was the most highly decorated Indian veteran of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. One of his most famous paintings is Brothers Gone but Not Forgotten, an acrylic painting from 2000, which portrayed a grieving man in a wheelchair touching the Vietnam War Memorial and faint images of fallen comrades can be seen in man's reflection. In this painting, Talmadge painted the names of each of the 238 Native Americans who died in the Vietnam War.
Davis' work was part of a traveling exhibit that was featured at the National Museum of the American Indian
National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
in Washington DC. He exhibited and regularly won awards at the Cherokee Heritage Center
Cherokee Heritage Center
The Cherokee Heritage Center is a non-profit historical society and museum campus that seeks to preserve the historical and cultural artifacts, language, and traditional crafts of the Cherokee. The Heritage center also hosts the central genealogy database and genealogy research center for the...
, Tulsa Indian Festival, Wichita Indian Market, and the Southwest Classic Art Show.