The Contemporary Dayton (The Co) is elated to announce the partnership with Michael Goodson as the new Curator and Director of Programs. Goodson’s talents span over 20 years curating exhibitions for The Wexner Center for the Arts, The Ohio State University, Beeler Gallery at Columbus College of Art & Design, and James Cohan Gallery, NY.
Michael Goodson. Photo credit: Briana Snyder
“I am very pleased to be joining the The Contemporary Dayton’s team in what is essentially a return to where my connection with and understanding of the power of art first began,” Goodson recalls. “When I first spoke with Eva Buttacavoli, Executive Director & Chief Curator of The Co about the vision of that she has nurtured over the last decade, it was immediately clear to me that Dayton and its surrounding communities are now, and perhaps always have been, ready for the challenge of contemporary art.”
Goodson’s plans will expand programming to create a significant shift in exhibitions that will integrate themes surrounding social injustice and equity from internationally renowned and local artists. The Co’s exhibition lineup for 2020–2021 includes a series of exciting exhibitions that kick off on Friday, September 11, 2020, with Goodson’s longtime friend, artist Nari Ward, and his breathtaking art installation We The People. Following in 2021, Goodson will be curating exhibitions from locally acclaimed Dayton artists, Zachary Armstrong and Mychaelyn Michalec.
“This is a new and exciting era for The Co and I am thrilled to have Michael Goodson with his many connections to the art world and his never-ending sensitivity to artists in the Dayton area,” said Eva Buttacavoli, Executive Director & Chief Curator of The Co. “Goodson is an accomplished leader with a track record of strategic planning for exhibitions that fuel visitor’s curiosity while creating a personal connection to the artwork.
As a teenager, Goodson moved to Dayton as a part of a Wright-Patterson family and completed his undergraduate work in studio art at Wright State University and taught sculpture and performance art at Hunter College, NY. He also taught studio and art history at Wright State and Wittenberg University. He holds an MFA in sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art, MI and has organized single artist exhibitions by Diana Al-Hadid, Charles Atlas, Leonardo Drew, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Donald Moffett, Carrie Moyer, Roxy Paine, Yinka Shonibare, Robert Smithson, Fred Tomaselli, and many others.
