//PARALLELS//: PORTRAITS IN BLOOM

This dual exhibition features multidisciplinary artist Tai Davis and fine jeweler Joe Bova Conti, two creators whose life journeys and artistic practices embody resilience, reinvention, and radical authenticity.

Opening Reception: December 6th, 5:00–9:00 PM

Exhibition Dates: December 6th – February 13th

Tai Davis presents his most personal and ambitious work to date in //PARALLELS//: PORTRAITS IN BLOOM. The exhibition features 16 large-scale mixed-media portraits that begin as digital self-portraits and evolve into hand-painted canvases layered with acrylic oil, animation, and archival textures. Each piece is a meditation on identity, memory, and healing, rendered with emotional depth and technical precision. Davis’s hybrid approach fuses photography, digital design, and tactile painting to explore trauma, resilience, and rebirth.

Known nationally as a celebrity chef, creative entrepreneur, and motivational speaker, Davis channels his philosophy of empowerment and artistic liberation into visual storytelling. His work dismantles stereotypes and celebrates diversity across mediums, from food to fine art, making this exhibition a natural extension of his mission to inspire self-assurance, creative prowess, and purposeful living.

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About Tai Davis:

Tai Davis is a nationally recognized creative force whose career spans culinary arts, motivational speaking, television, and fine art. Dubbed “The Black Willy Wonka,” Davis has appeared on the Food Network as the winner of Chopped, launched the acclaimed Cooking with Creatives series, and been featured in Feast Magazine, Sauce, St. Louis Magazine, Riverfront Times, and Missouri Arts Council as a 2024 Featured Artist.

His accolades include:

• Best Pastry Chef – Feast Awards (2019)

• Curator’s Choice Award – Soulard Art Gallery

• Artist of the Year – Alchemy Artist Collective

• Featured Exhibitions at Cedarhurst Museum of Art, Missouri History Museum, and Angad Arts Hotel.

Davis’s work has been commissioned by Whole Foods, Disney+, Cedarhurst Museum of Art, and numerous luxury brands. His audience spans over 100K followers across platforms, with a strong presence in the culinary and creative industries. Through keynote speeches and community initiatives, Davis advocates for mental health, diversity in hospitality, and creative entrepreneurship.

“The world is never still. Neither is the art.” — Tai Davis

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Second Featured Artist:

Joe Bova Conti: The Art of Survival

This season also honors the extraordinary journey of Joe Bova Conti, a former vice cop who led one of the largest sex trafficking stings in the country. Bova Conti’s life took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with cancer and given just months to live. That was over five years ago.

In September, Bova Conti celebrated his five-year cancer-free milestone, a chapter marked by triumph and transformation. Today, he channels his strength into crafting high-end fine jewelry, each piece a testament to survival and beauty forged under pressure. Off the bench, Bova Conti coaches hockey and mentors young athletes with the same grit and grace that defines his artistry.

“Joe’s work isn’t just wearable, it’s lived. It carries the lightness of hope, and the precision of a man who faced mortality and chose to create.” — Charles Mooneyham, Curator

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Resident Artists at Mooneyham Art:

Mooneyham Art is more than a gallery, it’s a living studio and creative incubator. Our resident artists form the heartbeat of our space, contributing work that spans mediums, philosophies, and lived experiences. From emerging voices to iconic international talent, these creators embody our mission to elevate authentic expression and foster community through art and promote resilience and wellness.

Featured Residents Include: Natalie Welborn, Rhonda Willman, Marty McKay, Craig Downs, Jon Ross-Mooneyham, Stephen Scordias, Claudia Ruth, Jay Thompson, Christine Lampe, David Bailey, Derek “DEEK” Diedricksen, Jen Fisher, Jamie Geragosian, Joe Bova Conti, Candice Fulton, Jill Haack, GlamTrash Zodiac, Melissa Lavitt, Natalie Emmons, Cathy Dudley, Judy Ferris Edwards, Christy Motsinger, Mindy Nickel, Mike Nickel, Mindy Cooke, Tonetta Fredrickson, Jennifer Rulo, Ryan Scordias, Tyler Clayberg—and more.

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Leadership & Curation:

Charles Mooneyham

Artist & Curator: Nationally recognized for his surrealist-pop creations and community-driven exhibitions, Charles curates Mooneyham Art as both a gallery and a creative incubator. His work challenges perspectives and his events elevate artists while fostering dialogue and social impact.

“I can think of no better way to lift a community than through the empowerment of art.” -Charles Mooneyham

Stephen Scordias

Artist & Co-Curator: Supporting the curatorial vision is Stephen Scordias, who brings over 30 years of award-winning experience as an artist and 20 years of administrative leadership at the university level.

Together, Mooneyham and Scordias cultivate a space where art is not only seen but felt, lived, and shared.

Mooneyham Art LLC is more than a gallery, it is a portal to bold artistic journeys, a sanctuary for surreal storytelling, and a cornerstone of Alton’s creative renaissance. For more event details please visit the official event Facebook invite at: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A92myfPhi/

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Live Music by Psychedelic Symphony:

Inside //PARALLELS//: PORTRAITS IN BLOOM, the atmosphere will be electrified by a live performance from Psychedelic Symphony bringing sonic surrealism to match the visual spectacle.

Free Hot Cocoa & Warm Vibes: Guests are invited to step inside for sips -n- nibbles and explore a gallery that is transformed into an immersive experience, finding the balance between our digital selves and finding ground in the tangible universe.

Also check out other Arts events in Alton, Exhibitions in Alton, Health & Wellness events in Alton.