Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Matt Davies of Wilton will present “Campaign Wishes,” an exhibition of his political cartoons, in the Westport Arts Center Studio Gallery, September 26 through October 26. The public reception for “Campaign Wishes” takes place Friday, September 26 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., and accompanies the reception for “Optimism” in the main gallery exhibit.
Davies will host an “Artist’s Talk” on Wednesday, October 15, 7:30 p.m. in the WAC gallery. The talk is open to the public.
Matt Davies was the recipient of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartoons and the inaugural 2004 Herblock Prize. He received the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in 2001 for a collection of his work highlighting such subjects as police brutality, racism and school overcrowding. He is a five-time winner of the Society of Professional Journalists (New York Chapter) Deadline Club Award, including the 2001 prize for his work confronting a post 9/11 New York. He has been honored for his local cartoons with five first place awards in the New York Associated Press Editorial Cartooning Competition. In 2004-05 he served as the President of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.
“As a political cartoonist on the editorial page of a daily newspaper I am unabashedly opinionated in my work,” said Davies. “It’s what readers, whether they agree or disagree with me, expect. I enjoy the ensuing discussions, and less so the angry phone calls and emails, but they are all a fascinating part of our messy democratic dialogue.”
Matt Davies and WAC board member Elizabeth Strick prepare his month-long exhibit, "Campaign Wishes."
Born in London, England in 1966, Davies moved to the U.S. in 1983. After studying Illustration and fine art at The Savannah College of Art & Design (GA) and The School of Visual Arts in New York City, he began drawing editorial cartoons full-time for The Journal News in Westchester County (NY) in 1993.
His cartoons are syndicated internationally in over 80 newspapers by Tribune Media Services and also appear regularly in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. His work has also been featured in Newsweek, Time Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, CNN and Mad Magazine.
Davies has given talks about cartooning and politics at many venues including the United Nations, The Library of Congress, The National Press Club in Washington, DC, Columbia University, The British Library in London, The National Archives in Washington, DC and The TriBeca Film Festival. He was also the 2004 Writer-in-Residence with the journalism and art departments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is on the advisory board of the National Cartoon Museum. Davies and his wife, Lucy, live in Wilton with their three children.
The Westport Arts Center is a visual and performing arts organization dedicated to creating arts experiences that enrich the lives of area residents and the extended community. The Westport Arts Center is supported with funds from The Artur and Heida Hermanns Holde Foundation, Inc., Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Connecticut Light & Power, Fairfield County Bank, Gault, Inc., Main Street Resources, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, and Westport Resources.
For information, contact the Westport Arts Center at 203-222-7070, view online at www.westportartscenter.org, or visit the gallery, M-F, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat. and Sun. from 12 noon to 4 p.m., at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport.
