A New Dayton Icon was a project idea pitched in April 2016 at the UpDayton Summit by Kelly Sexton of K12 Gallery & TEJAS. The project set out to bring a new, iconic public sculpture to Dayton, designed and built by the community. After the votes (200+) were cast, the Dayton Icon became more than just an idea.
UpDayton put out a Call to Artists and last October a panel of judges gathered to select the winning design.
Nick Gaskins and the Bing Design team were selected as the winner. They call their design “Dayton’s Duality” with each letter consisting of two pieces – a rough steel portion which represents our city’s solid and sturdy past, and a shiny steel portion which represents our bright, promising future. All pieces would be upwards of 5 ft. tall, flat, offset slightly, and staggered so the word DAYTON can be read at an angle. Shifting shadows add interest by constantly changing the presentation. They envision the icon mounted on a long, low base that could double as a place to sit or creatively pose with the sculpture.
Funding and constructing the Dayton Icon project is a big endeavor and UpDayton has partnered with Winans Chocolatees & Coffees to launch a chocolate version of the design as a fundraiser to help bring the actual Icon to fruition. Those attending the 2017 UpDayton Summit on Thursday, April 27th at 5:30pm at the Dayton Art Institute will have the opportunity to purchase the first release of the chocolate version of Dayton’s Duality for just $5.
The chocolates will go on sale to the general public sometime later this spring. All of the proceeds of the chocolate bars will go to support the Dayton Icon Project.
Another project that came out of the 2017 Summit is The Longest Table. Hundreds of Daytonians gathered on Saturday, October 15th, 2016 for a community meal and dialogue on the Third Street Bridge – Dayton’s Peace Bridge. The goal of the event was to connect Daytonians from every corner of the city and region, to meet people we never would have met otherwise. People were randomly assigned to a table and 
spent the afternoon learning about each other and the neighborhoods we love. The event was such a hit, it’s continued brining folks from the Miami Valley together over meals around town. The next community meal is this Saturday, April 22nd from 1:30 – 3:30pm, co-hosted by East End Community Services in Dayton’s Twin Towers neighborhood.
If you’d like to be part of the team that selects the 2017 projects register now to attend the UpDayton Summit. Ten individuals (or teams) will each have 3 minutes to pitch their project idea to the Summit audience. Once all the ideas have been presented, the audience will vote to select the top 3 ideas for implementation in 2017.
The event will also include opportunities for participants to connect with project team leaders and other ways to get involved in the community.
