Spend any amount of time in the northern forests, and you’ll quickly notice how everything is connected. Moss clinging to rocks, roots tracing the riverbanks, crisscrossing tracks in the snow—nothing is truly alone.
One artist whose work showcases this is Pamela Davis. Davis is an artist from Ely whose work bridges a wide range of media, from fiber art to leatherwork to basketry, and more. She’s also the owner of Art & Soul Gallery & Gift House, an art gallery dedicated to supporting and celebrating the work of Ely artists.
Like a favorite trail through the woods, Pamela Davis’s creative path hasn’t been a linear one. However, each step has been guided by two common themes: a love for creativity and a love for nature. After an initial career in San Francisco’s fashion industry, Davis first landed in Minnesota to pursue a Master of Science at the University of Minnesota. Environmental science spoke directly to her love for the planet, but as she was finishing her degree, she felt a strong pull to reincorporate art into her life. On a trip to the Minnesota State Fair, Davis happened upon a demonstration by the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, a chance encounter that would influence her path for years to come.
“I was immediately fascinated by weaving, and especially by the versatility of tapestry weaving,” Davis said.
That fascination was the start of what would become a long career as a tapestry artist. At the loom, Davis painted stories and scenes with thread. During this time, she studied under tapestry weavers in the U.S. and abroad, and over time, her art expanded to include wool dyeing, sewing, beading, basketry, and coppersmithing.
“I’m passionate about my art, and about education,” Davis said. “I love to learn.”
This curiosity and love for learning have been a vibrant fuel for Davis’s creative life, especially when necessity has called for a change in direction. Although she loved weaving, the many hours spent at the loom were becoming an ergonomic challenge, and Davis was looking for something that was gentler on the body. It just so happened that around this time, Davis’s husband began hunting again, and the sudden availability of deer hide sparked a new adventure—leatherwork.
“The beauty of leather is that it has a structure that fiber doesn’t—you can cut it, stamp it, dye it, and marble it,” Davis said.
This versatility has provided an endless frontier for creative exploration. For the last several years, Davis has crafted everything from totes and jewelry to wallets to working bits of leather into her basketry.
Recently, Davis has been exploring surface design, using leather as a base to make colorful art pieces inspired by the Superior National Forest and her Celtic heritage. Some of these pieces include Journey with Me and Meet Rhena the River Otter, which speak to the bridges between the natural and fantastical worlds. Honor Us, We Are All Connected includes Celtic patterns that symbolize the interconnection of all things—something that feels especially timely today.
“I wanted to make something that would bring people peace and tranquility,” Davis said.
Some of these pieces will be on display this May at the Art & Soul Gallery, the gallery Davis owns. Art & Soul was started by Ely artist Nancy Scheibe, and was born out of a need for local artists to have a place to share their work. Davis got involved when she was looking for a place to show her art, and later bought the business. Although making art might seem like a solitary endeavor on the surface, it’s connection and support among artists that keeps the creative community strong, something that makes Davis proud.
“It’s amazing how Ely has embraced the arts, and how the local art community has been growing,” Davis said. “We want to offer people—both locals and tourists—the opportunity to see and experience the work of artists who are right here in Ely.”
