Name: Ariel Davis
Hometown: Fort Worth
Age: 34
Company: Love Texas Art by Artspace111,
Position: Co-Owner/ Gallery Manager/ Artist
How do you choose to give back to the community? From 2017 – 2021 I mostly donated my time (a lot of it) to develop Art Tooth and I choose to continue to support the organization in other ways. I also support local artists financially by collecting artwork and creating paid opportunities for artists in the community.
What advice would you give to yourself at age 15? Have courage to do what you love. Passion, drive and hard work will get you there. Don’t give up on your dream and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Where did your first paycheck come from? When I was 18, my first job was selling beer on the golf course at Hawks Creek Gold Club in Westworth Village.
What other profession would you like to try? I love my careers, so this is a hard question to answer. If anything, maybe owning a restaurant.
Tell us about an influential person in your life. How did they influence you and why are they important? In 2015, I started working with Nancy Lamb as her assistant. She was and continues to be a great mentor to me. She is truly a great artist and working closely with her showed me what that means. She has opened doors for me that I didn’t even know were there and I am forever grateful.
What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was young my family was involved in politics, and I had the opportunity to meet several judges. At one point I told everyone I met that I wanted to be a Supreme Court Justice. This all changed of course when I discovered art and the dream became to be an artist.
What movie, TV show, book, stage play or video game influenced you growing up? I think that artworks in museums have influenced me more than books, or TV shows or plays. When I was in my teens I was part of the Sister Cities program and traveled through Europe visiting major museums like the Louvre, and Musee d’Orsay. Not to mention my exposure to art here at home at the Amon Carter, Kimbell and The Modern. I remember the first time I saw Anselm Keifer’s painting “Aschenblume” at the Modern. It captured my attention, brought me to tears and made me think about how artists use materials and what it would be like to make monumental works.
Tell us one thing about yourself that most people would be surprised to find out? In High School, I was a dedicated tennis player, was ranked in Texas, and spent 6 months in the John Newcombe Tennis Academy.
What is your ideal vacation? Any vacation is wonderful, but I especially love time at the beach with family.
Favorite food or restaurant? I could give a list of favorite restaurants! The top three are Café Modern, Tokyo Café, or Koby’s (my husbands’s) grill in our backyard.
Favorite drink? Pinot Noir
Favorite movie: Pride and Prejudice
Favorite sports team: The Texas Rangers
Favorite song: Coffee by Sylvan Esso
Tell us about your prop? I chose to bring one of my original paintings that features Rambo Elliot (Fort Worth Photographer) in an image from a day we spent with friends at the Botanic Gardens. I also created a sign that says “Buy Local Art”. I encourage all those reading to invest in the arts community here at home and support our local artists by purchasing their works. We have some amazing talent here and collecting their work helps them to continue to create and to keep them in Fort Worth.