Bill Franz

Dayton at Work and Play: Sharon Stolzenberger

August 29, 2022 By Bill Franz

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Sharon Stolzenberger invited me into her spacious Front Street studio this week. It’s on the second floor of the Annex Building at Front Street.

“I’ve been here for years” she told me. “I love the light and the space. I use this area for watercolors, and another area across the room for acrylics. The only problem with having all of this space is that there’s never a reason to get rid of anything. A visitor can poke around and see how my work has changed over the years.”

“The piece I’m working on here features a crow. I’ve been using crows in quite a few of my work for a few years now, and recently I’ve been doing a series related to prairies.”

Like a number of successful local artists (e.g. Jon Barlow Hudson and John Emery) Sharon is a graduate of the School of the Dayton Art Institute. After school she was an illustrator and then Art Director for Gibson Greeting Cards before opening her own studio.

Sharon works primarily in watercolors but uses stenciling, patterning and collage to create densely textured works. As I photographed she added layers to a small piece. After each one of her steps I found myself thinking about whether there was a way for me to do something similar in my own digital wok. I think I need to hang around the studio some more and let Sharon teach me some new things.

Sharon’s studio will be open this week during First Friday. If you want, use her special entrance – the green staircase (fire escape) on the back of the Annex building.

Dayton at Work and Play: Anthony Murrill

August 18, 2022 By Bill Franz

Anthony Murrill of ASMurrill Art describes himself as an artist and a carpenter. I asked him to explain:

“I was an art major, but when I left college I went to work as a carpenter. I was good at it and eventually had my own successful remodeling company.”

“About seven years ago my wife encouraged me to try painting again, even though I’d been away from art for 16 years. After a short time painting I came to realize that was what I was meant to do. Now I spend almost all of my time painting at my studio in Springboro. I may sneak off to the wood shop to make a custom frame or to build a piece of furniture, but I am primarily a painter.”

Here he was getting ready for Kettering’s Art on the Commons:

He also does custom pet portraits, “I love to paint your pets! Dogs, cats, horses, cows, iguanas, birds… I love painting them all! I enjoy all of the color and texture variation in animals. I love to capture their joy and energy. Using photos that you provide, I will create a custom painting of your beloved animal. I typically paint these portraits on canvas.”

His work can be viewed-

• in the gallery and studio at 140 S. Main St, unit E, Springboro, Ohio 45065 during normal business hours and by appointment.

•Pendleton Art Center, Cincinnati Ohio studio 313, on the final Friday of the month and by appointment.

Anthony is currently accepting commissioned orders and usually has several original pieces for sale.

Dayton at Work and Play: Dani Ruffalo

June 27, 2022 By Bill Franz

Dani Ruffalo took an Entrepreneurship class when she was a student at the University of Dayton. Her class project was a hat with an inner pouch that can be used for cash, credit cards or even a face mask.

After patenting that idea, Dani launched Handy Hats . All of the hats are designed and assembled in Dayton.

Dayton Collection

SHOP NOW

Island Collection

SHOP NOW

Bucket Hats

SHOP NOW

Today, Handy Hats are available in over 100 styles ranging from baseball to bucket hat to beanie! Visit www.myhandyhats.com to order your own Handy Hat today or email [email protected] with any business inquires/to place a custom order.

Follow Handy Hats on Instagram and Facebook.

Dayton At Work and Play: Sugarcreek Photography Gallery

June 17, 2022 By Bill Franz

I was so impressed by the work I saw at Sugarcreek Photography Gallery

that I thought I’d ask a few of their photographers to share some of their favorites. Judd Plattenburg sent me this wonderful photo of the fountains at RiverScape and told me a bit about it.

May be an image of 1 person and nature

“I own Oregon Printing and have worked in downtown Dayton for more than 35 years. I like this shot because it shows one of the things that is special about our city. To get this perspective I needed to be on the water, so making this image combined two of my hobbies – photography and paddling.”

You can see more of Judd’s photography at Sugarcreek Photography Gallery or on his website https://www.juddplattenburg.com/

Dayton at Work and Play: Erin Nash

April 14, 2022 By Bill Franz

Erin Nash, the Upcycling Librarian.

“I was a librarian and I saw that many people donated books to our library that we couldn’t use. Some of those books had beautiful covers or illustrations. So about eight years ago I began disassembling unwanted books and using the materials to make various paper products. I use beautiful old book covers to make journals with blank pages, or a personalized book containing a customer’s treasured family letters or documents. I also make bookmarks and sell illustrations taken from old books.”

“I have an ETSY shop called UpcyclingLibrarian, but most of my sales are made person to person. I sell at various markets and POPUP events. Potential customers can learn my schedule by following me on Instagram at @upcyclinglibrarian or emailing me at [email protected]“

Dayton at Work and Play: Cayman K

April 1, 2022 By Bill Franz

Met a new artist recently at Front Street. He’s Ahmad Kane, better known as Cayman K. He refers to himself as an outsider folk artist.

I understand that he used to paint on canvas, but now does most of his work on scrap wood and other found objects. Since making that switch his work has become more popular and he is now widely collected. Most of his selling is done online, but you can see his work tonight during First Friday. He’s in the Annex Building on the 2nd floor

Dayton At Work and Play

March 28, 2022 By Bill Franz

One of two prints I donated for the Stivers School for the Arts Photography Auction.

For the past 19 years, the award winning Stivers photography department has held a silent auction to raise money for their program. Fine art photographers from around the Miami Valley and around the world donate work to raise money for cameras, film and darkroom equipment used by the students.

$2 at the door. Friday, April 1, 6-9pm at Stivers School for the Arts, 1313 East Fifth Street.

Dayton at Work and Play: Brian Mathus

March 18, 2022 By Bill Franz

Brian Mathus has a solo exhibition at Kettering’s Rosewood Gallery (2655 Olson Drive) March 14 through April 22. The show is called “The expectation of being seen.” An artist’s reception Saturday from 1-3 pm is open to the public.

To read more about Brian, check out this interview from Dayton Artists United:

DAU: OK, Brian Mathus, tell me about yourself.

BM—Well, let’s see. Fun fact. I’ve lived on both sides of the country. I lived in Virginia from the time I was 2 until I was 17, then I moved to Portland.

DAU–Portland Oregon?

BM: Yep. And it’s just like you imagine it. It’s where I found my peeps, people like me. It’s so creative there, and everybody is doing their own thing. They have this guy out there that rides a unicycle in a Darth Vader mask.

DAU—I’ve seen the video!

BM-I lived in Portland until I was 30, and then moved to Dayton.

DAU: Where you became an artist?

BM–I think I was always an artist. I just didn’t know how to be one. I made my first work when I was 17. It was a large-scale work called “crabs in a barrel.” I didn’t know how to stretch a canvas, so I just stapled it to the wall. I gessoed it and got gesso all over the floor. When it came time to take it down it was gessoed to the wall. It actually came off with pieces of the wall on the back.

Years later I worked a frame shop and this woman who worked there help me stretch it into a frame. She complained the whole time about how “this wasn’t how you were supposed to do this.”

DAU—where is it now?

BM—I think it might be at my parents.

DAU—And you’ve been painting ever since? How many works do you think you’ve created?

BM—I don’t know. Over a 1000? I’ve started taking pictures of my work. I’ve sold some, maybe 70 pieces, that I never made a record of.

More of the interview here.

Dayton at Work and Play: The Sunflower

March 6, 2022 By Bill Franz

The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, and it’s become a symbol of solidarity during the Russian invasion. Sunflowers can self pollinate, but bee pollination is helpful to sunflowers – especially in times of stress. My image of bees on a sunflower symbolizes helping the people of Ukraine.

My friend Julie Riley of Julie Riley Art found a way to help the people of Ukraine during this time of stress. She auctioned off a painting called “Sunflowers of Hope” and sent the $1,000 she raised to a nonprofit in Moldova that is helping women and children who are fleeing from Ukraine. If you’d like to give money to support that nonprofit go to https://stellasvoice.org/ukraine

Yesterday my wife and I donated money to the Lutheran World Relief effort to support refugees from Ukraine with food, shelter and medical care. You can donate at https://lwr.org/

Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, Amnesty International and many other nonprofits have also rushed in to help. If you donate any amount of money to any of these groups, I’d like to send you a signed 8X10 print of this image at no charge.

I’ll print up to 50 copies of the photo and send them to those who have donated. Just email me at [email protected] and tell me you’ve given money to help Ukraine and tell me your address so I can send you a print.

Dayton at Work and Play: Abiona Venee Pleasant

November 27, 2021 By Bill Franz

I heard that my friend Abi, of Art Glass by Abiona had a new studio, so I paid her a visit.

“I’ve wanted my own glass shop for quite a while” she told me. “I had planned to buy a building in the city with a partner who is a great glass artist. But when the pandemic hit we decided against it. I started renting space all over – in Springfield, Cincinnati, even up to Toledo.”

“Then I decided to build my own glass shop here in the garage of my home. I put in new electrical service and got the ovens set up and everything was operational in September. It’s been great.”

“Lately I’ve been doing a lot of blown glass ornaments. I’ll be selling them at Front Street Saturday 4 to 9 and Sunday 11 to 4 with my friends at Yahweh & Sons Art Studio: (Building 100 Door A: first floor suite 1160). It’s part of Front Street’s Christkindl Market on Small Business Saturday.”

Dayton at Work and Play Artist of the Week: Katie Clark Gabbard

October 26, 2021 By Bill Franz

Artist of the Week Katie Clark Gabbard at the inviting entrance to her studio at Front Street.

Like many people, Katie’s life was changed by the pandemic. When large weddings and other events were cancelled in 2020 the floral shop she had owned for 15 years was forced to close. She decided to reinvent herself as an artist. She got a studio at Front Street and started painting. She also got a side job (like most artists) as the Exhibitions Director at the Dayton Society of Artists.

“The transition from florist to painter was easier than you might think” she told me. “As a florist I needed to think about color, scale and texture. Also, I had been doing some painting over the years to decorate my shop.”

You need to contact Katie on facebook and set a time to visit her studio. In addition to smaller pieces like you see in this photo she has some work on display that is 14 feet high. “I wanted some large pieces that would really make a statement” she told me “but shipping large pieces to shows across the country costs a lot of money. I decided to try painting on large pieces of canvas that hang loosely on walls. They are pretty unique and have been getting into shows, and I can just roll them up and mail them at a reasonable rate.”

Katie’s career shift from florist to artist seems to be working out. She’s had art on display at Roy G Biv gallery in Columbus and at Shrine Gallery in New York, and she has a solo show at the Neon Heater Gallery in Findlay.

Dayton at Work and Play Artist of the Week: Samanta Farkas

October 13, 2021 By Bill Franz

ARTIST OF THE WEEK Samantha Farkas of Art by Samantha Farkas making one of her delightful bird paintings. When I visited her work space recently I watched her create some work and then I became the proud owner of one of her bird paintings. When my wife saw the piece she quickly put it up in her office, but she says I have visitation privileges.

After art school, Samantha told me she worked in preschool for fifteen years before deciding to do something new. She says she enjoyed doing art projects with the kids, but found she wasn’t doing much of her own art. Now she’s making a lot of work and also teaching at Raise Your Brush in Centerville.

You can see Samantha’s bird paintings and more at https://www.samanthafarkasart.com/

Dayton at Work and Play: Yetunde Taiwo Rodriguez

September 27, 2021 By Bill Franz

Artist of the Week Yetunde Taiwo Rodriguez of Yetunde Rodriguez Design in her downtown studio.

Yetunde is a graphic artist who will be featured at Rosewood Art Center (2655 Olson Drive) September 27-October 2 as part of this year’s Art on the Commons festival.

Yetunde was born in Nigeria and moved to the U.S. as a teen. She and her family have lived in the Dayton area since 2007. Much of Yetunde’s work is made by block printing using patterns she has carved herself.

She told me that one reason she likes block printing is that each impression is a little different than the one made before. These slight differences add interest and soul to a hand printed piece of fabric. These fabrics then become beautiful bags, pillow cases and other items.

Dayton at Work and Play: The National Park Service

September 17, 2021 By Bill Franz

The National Park Service is restoring the world’s first airplane factory and you can help.

The Wright Brothers built these buildings just off West Third Street to make planes. Eventually the buildings were bought by General Motors and converted to making auto parts. This plant grew to cover 54 acres.

Fortunately, the original Wright buildings were not torn down during this period. They were just surrounded by larger, newer buildings. Manufacturing stopped here in 2008. Since then everything has been torn down except for the buildings connected to the original Wright Brothers Factory.

On October 2nd from 10 to 2 the National Park Service is looking for 15 – 20 volunteers to help remove weeds, put down a weed barrier and then cover it with mulch. Rain date for the event is Saturday, October 9th.

For more information, please contact Robert Petersen at 937-225-7705.

Dayton at Work and Play: Dana L. Wiley

September 3, 2021 By Bill Franz

The Dana L. Wiley GALLERY is beautiful. It looks like a place you’d find as you wander around the streets of San Francisco or New York.

I sat down with Dana at the conference table in the gallery’s office and asked about her journey from working artist to gallery owner.

“I still do make my own art” she told me “but I haven’t exhibited in the gallery yet. A few years ago I agreed to curate a show and I loved it. I loved meeting with the artists, I loved deciding how to put the various art pieces together and I loved being around the art all day.”

“I talked with artist Gary Hinsche about the idea and the two of us decided to open up this gallery. This space here is great. We have room for Gary’s studio and this office and lots of room to show art.”

Our last exhibition featured four artists from across the country. Now we’re showing a local artist, Mike Elsass, but we’re showing him in a way that’s different from the way Dayton people have seen his work before. People should stop by tonight during First Friday and have a look.”

Dana L. Wiley GALLERY

1001 E. 2nd St., Suite 2405,
Dayton, OH 45402.

(937) 475-3794

Dayton 66 Neighborhoods Photography Exhibit Now On Display

August 6, 2021 By Bill Franz

When I retired I picked up a camera, learned how to use it, and became a volunteer photographer. My first project was taking photos of animals for the Humane Society. I enjoyed that so much that I started doing projects for other nonprofits. As I was doing these volunteer projects, and finding other places of interest with my camera, I felt like I was finally getting to know the area where I had lived all these years. I decided to share photos of what I was discovering on a facebook page called “Dayton at Work and Play.”

Greek Festival in Grafton Hill

At the start of 2019 I made a New Year’s Resolution to take and post at least one photo on my facebook page from each of Dayton’s 66 neighborhoods.

After fifteen tornadoes hit Old North Dayton I photographed volunteers from all over the area helping in the cleanup efforts. A few months later, I again photographed people from all over the region as they gathered together in reaction to the mass shooting in the Oregon District. Then I started to rethink this project. I decided I didn’t want to go into a new neighborhood and take photos of buildings or some interesting landscape. I just wanted to take photos of people from all 66 neighborhoods, people from every corner of Dayton.

Volunteers working in Old North Dayton

The reaction to this project idea was wonderful. Mayor Whaley and her husband Sam posed for me one Saturday morning and then introduced me to the leaders of some of the Neighborhood Associations. Bryan Taulbee and others on the city’s staff helped me understand when and where all of the city recreation activities were happening. City planning division manager Tony Kroeger helped me understand the exact boundaries of the neighborhoods. People invited me to block parties, to neighborhood events, and into their homes and their businesses. It was great.

Playtime Nursery School in Residence Park

I remember driving around Dayton’s Pineview neighborhood and seeing a man watering his lawn. I stopped and told him about my project. He said he’d grown up on this block and then left to go to college. After college he lived in Chicago and then New York. He had recently moved back to Dayton.

Shoes for the Shoeless Event at Mt Enon Church

“I like being around the people I grew up with, and I like the size of Dayton” he told me. “In Chicago or New York you couldn’t get the whole community to come together the way Dayton did after the two tragedies we had this summer. This project of yours seems timely, Bill. Having an exhibition of photos of people from all corners of Dayton is a good thing for us to do now. I would be glad to have my photo up in your exhibition.”

Choir rehearsal at College Hill Community Church

The exhibition was being organized by Rebecca Sargent, then the Program Director at K12 Gallery. The photos were printed, the promotional materials were prepared and everything was ready for an opening April 2, 2020. Like many things that were planned in 2020, it never happened. I’m glad the Dayton Metro Library has decided to exhibit these photos now.

Those 66 photos are now on display through September 25 in the Dayton room of the Dayton Metro Library.