happenSTANCE:  An Art Exhibition featuring Jamele Wright Sr. and Amy Deal

Jamele Wright Sr. is an Atlanta-based artist originally from Dayton, OH, and Amy Deal, a Dayton-based artist who has called Dayton home for the past 36 years, will showcase their work together in the upcoming exhibition, happenStance.

The two artists met by chance this past spring in South Carolina at an art opening at Summerville’s Public Works Art Center. Their immediate connection, coupled with their shared roots in Dayton, led to a collaborative opportunity. Wright expressed his interest in exhibiting in Dayton, and Deal, who had an exhibition scheduled, extended an invitation for him to join her.

happenSTANCE

DSA Gallery, 48 High Street, Dayton

Thursday, August 29, 5-8:00 PM

Friday, August 30, 5-8:00 PM (artist talk 6:00)

Saturday, August 31, 1-4:00 PM (workshop 11:00 by reservation)

Jamele Wright Sr. (born 1970 Dayton, Ohio) is a mixed media artist whose work explores the Black American vernacular experience. Using found materials, Georgia red clay, and Dutch Wax cloth, Wright delves into themes of family, tradition, and the spiritual and material relationship between Africa and the South. His process is influenced by Hip Hop’s practice of sampling, remixes cultural elements to create narratives reflecting the African diaspora and the Great Migration.

Wright earned his B.A. in Art History from Georgia State University and him M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, NY. He has participated in residencies at MASS MoCA and the Gibbes Museum.

Amy Deal (b. 1966, Cranberry Prairie, OH) grew up in a rural setting, collecting wildflowers to create pigments and using art to enhance her surroundings. She holds a BFA in Visual Communications from Kent State University and has worked as a creative director on corporate branding and advertising campaigns. After taking time off to raise her children, Deal renewed her focus on painting. Her current series, Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, emphasizes nature’s calming effects. Deal has recently completed residencies in South Carolina and Brooklyn Navy Yard.