Artis graduated from Frederick Douglass Junior High School 139 in 1932 and from
Haaren High School in 1936, majoring in the arts. He was a pupil of
Augusta Savage as a teenager. In high school, he presented in the
Harmon Foundation 1933 exhibition with
Head of a Girl. This earned him the $100 John Hope prize, a mention in
Time magazine, and a full-ride scholarship for a year at
Art Student League. He taught at the Harlem YMCA after finishing high school, before joining with
Works Progress Administration artist projects, such as with Harmon Foundation and Rosenwald Fund. He was also under the tutelage of Roberta Laber from 1936 to 1938, and Maude Robinson in 1938. Between 1933 to 1940, he was involved in over 14 exhibitions. From the late 1930s until 1941, he lived with Langston Hughes and two others. In the summers of 1940, ‘46, and ‘47, Artis pursued education as a special student and eventual instructor at
New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He closed his studio near
Apollo Theatre upon being drafted into
World War II. After being discharged from his U.S. army service in Europe, he resumed his art. In 1945, Artis,
Romare Bearden, and
Selma Burke were in the landmark Albany Institute of History and Art exhibit. Over the next decade, they helped advance Black representation in national exhibits and galleries. In 1946, he received a Harmon Foundation grant to teach a four-day ceramics class at twenty Philadelphia schools. Soon after, he pursued higher education at
Syracuse University. Artis earned a
Bachelor in Fine Arts in 1950. A year later, he graduated with a Master in Fine Arts. He studied under Ivan Meštrović. He taught at Holy Rosary School at
Pine Ridge Reservation in North Dakota because of his interest in
Sioux culture, where he taught pottery production for two years. In 1954, he was hired by Bill Boehle as a ceramic associate professor at
Nebraska State Teachers College. Artis is cited as a popular professor for his efforts in creatively pushing his students and uncovering their strengths. In 1959, he defended a modern mural on campus as environmental symbolism, helping it remain for 25 years after controversy. He eventually sought new creative career endeavors, becoming an art associate professor at
Mankato State College from 1966 until 1975, stopping due to ill health. His goal was to study local clay deposits and share with the local Native American tribes to highlight a resource for economic development. He received many accolades during his decades long artistic career. His work was found in schools such as
Atlanta University,
Fisk University,
Hampton University, and
Chadron State College along with museums like
Whitney Museum of American Art,
North Carolina Museum of Art,
Smithsonian Institution, and
Joslyn Art Museum. Many of his pieces are still in private collections and copyrighted. In the 1950s and ‘60s, he won Atlanta’s National Art Exhibition multiple times for his African American terra cotta sculptures. == Personal life ==