Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

The Contemporary Dayton (The Co) announced that it is a first-time recipient of the prestigious Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Spring 2022 grant. The Co was selected as one of 50 organizations—and as one of only 19 of those being first-time recipients—that was awarded a part of the $3.9 million grant that was dispersed. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts seeks out creative risk-takers that are continually supporting the needs of artists in their communities in resourceful ways and will provide The Co with $80,00 in funding spread over the next two years to support their rotating exhibitions and expanded educational programs.

“We are honored to be recognized by this august and noble organization,” says Michael Goodson, Curator and Director of Programs at The Co. “The entire staff at The Contemporary Dayton started, in earnest, a shift in exhibitions, programming, philosophy, and mission in the summer of 2020. Amid the tumult of that time, our vision was clear that one of our first goals was to garner an Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts grant.” Goodson recalls that “at the time the idea seemed so far ahead of us; a year later much closer. And now, it has been announced. While this funding is crucial to our vision and mission, the trust and belief that the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has in The Contemporary Dayton is equally important.”

“The Contemporary Dayton is an important point of connection and exchange for artists and audiences in the region,” said Rachel Bers, Program Director, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. “We are pleased to support its exhibitions and public programs that situate local artistic practices within global contemporary art discourse and create space for critical engagement with issues relevant to its immediate community.”

The Co’s three distinct galleries plus the CoSHOP at the Dayton Arcade are always free and open to the public. Exhibitions and educational programs feature artists living and working today, both nationally and in Ohio, with an emphasis on those whose work focuses on the ideas, concepts, and issues of contemporary life. 

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