A limited edition of the new book “Cecil Clark Davis: A Self Portrait (1877-1955)” will be available for sale at the Marion Art Center on Nov. 21.

Wendy Todd Bidstrup conceived the book with design consultation by Barbara Gee. It is a portrait of artist Cecil Clark Davis who lived in Marion. The first person narrative includes diary entries, letters and observations.

The text is enhanced with drawings based on illustrations by famous artist Charles Dana Gibson, whose images often reflected the lives of his close friends, Cecil Clark and her journalist husband, Richard Harding Davis. Full color photographs of her paintings are annotated with quotations of conversations with the subjects.

Publication of this book was made possible in part by an anonymous gift in memory of Betsy Arms and Lib Davis, two women who encouraged and supported the Cecil Clark Davis research project and gave generously to the community.