In a collaborative celebration of Women’s History Month with the Marion Art Center and the Sippican Historical Society, Tabor Academy will host a gallery talk and book signing on March 1 at 2 p.m. in Tabor’s Hayden Library on Spring Street.

Wendy Todd Bidstrup will give a gallery talk and share stories of an accomplished local woman artist, Cecil Clark Davis, and her own experiences uncovering the life of this award winning portrait artist. While she talks, guests may tour and view more than 12 of Davis’ portraits, the largest single collection of her work.

All are welcome to this free event.

Bidstrup has been fascinated with local painter Cecil Clark Davis since she first came to Marion more than 40 years ago with her husband, Larry, a Tabor history teacher.

In Lillard Hall, the school displayed many of Davis’ portraits of well-known people like Charles Lindberg, actor Lionel Barrymore and explorer Roald Amundsen, but no one seemed to know much of the artist’s story, or why Tabor Academy seemed to have such an extensive collection of her work.

When she learned Davis was a local woman who had lived on Water Street, Bidstrup became determined to find out more and set to work on what has since become a passion to memorialize Cecil Clark Davis and celebrate her work.

Running down leads and contacts over the years, Bidstrup acquired Cecil Clark Davis’ dairies, letters, photographs, a guest book, address book and other personal effects. This treasure trove opened intriguing questions that continued to pique Bidstrup’s interest: Who was Walter Damrosch, and why was Ethel Barrymore maid of honor at both weddings of Richard Harding Davis?

The puzzle took years to put together, but it is now complete with the publishing of her book, which Bidstrup says provides a “reflection of a time and place in American history through the eyes of Cecil and her peers in letters, diaries, and commentaries of the day.”

In addition to the paintings on display at Tabor, townspeople may also enjoy a visit to the Marion Art Center to view their permanent collection of 12 portraits by Davis during their gallery hours: Tuesday to Friday, 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.