Fay E. Davis

Fay Elizabeth Davis (July 8, 1916 – November 30, 1997) was an American artist, graphic designer and muralist who created three post office murals as part of the art projects for the New Deal's Section of Painting and Sculpture.

Encouraged to visit the towns where they worked, these artists incorporated local themes into their paintings, which were typically completed off-site and then installed in public buildings.

[4][5] Davis also received two commissions in Illinois; Loading the Packet for the Chester post office and The Illini and Potawatomies Struggle at Starved Rock at Oglesby.

In 1993, the mural came back into the news when a janitor at the post office claimed the nudity of the figures rendered the scene pornographic and filed a union grievance; while his complaint was being reviewed, the painting was shielded from the public by blinds.

The year following her marriage, Davis-Prout won first prize in the 37th Annual Indiana Artists Exhibition, the oldest art competition in the state, with her entry Coal for Chicago.