Visual Arts

DAI Art For All Weekend- Free Admission

December 5, 2025 By Dayton937

On Saturday, December 6, and Sunday, December 7, 2025, the Dayton Art Institute (DAI) will welcome art lovers of all backgrounds to the museum, free of charge, for a special Art For All weekend.

Art for All reinforces the Dayton Art Institute’s commitment to accessibility by offering free general admission to all visitors. Guests can explore the collection galleries, as well as the current Special and Focus Exhibitions. This initiative is made possible with the generosity and vision of our dedicated sponsors: Presenting Sponsors Kate and Steve Hone; Sustaining Sponsors Ramona and Todd Vikan; and Director Level Sponsors Karen and Eric Spina.

The museum is open from 11 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays and noon to 5 PM on Sundays. Art for All weekend features two full days of festive programming for visitors of all ages. Guests can enjoy performances, hands-on artmaking, tours and family-friendly activities during their visit. Saturday highlights include a Holiday Concert by the Dayton Bach Society (12–12:30 PM), an artist talk with Sarah Richard (12:45 PM), rotating gallery tours and all-day experiences such as an Art Nouveau artmaking activity, a winter photo booth and a family scavenger hunt. Sunday continues the fun with additional gallery tours and all-day creative activities. In the spirit of the season, the DAI encourages all attendees who are able to bring a dry-good donation to support the Dayton Food Bank as we come together to celebrate art, community and generosity.

The Art for All dates were carefully selected to coincide with the major highlights in the DAI’s exhibition schedule, giving guests a chance to see all three of the DAI’s Special Exhibitions, including the current exhibition, The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art (on view October 18, 2025–January 11, 2026).

Additional Exhibitions at the museum include Strange Worlds: Photographs by Jay Hoops (October 4, 2025–January 4, 2026), Captivating Clay: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection (April 13, 2024–January 3, 2027),Themes in Yoshitoshi’s 100 Aspects of the Moon: Love & Longing (October 25–January 25, 2026) and Engaged: Rings from around the World (November 8, 2025–April 19, 2026).

For more information about planning a visit, including current museum hours and updates, go to www.daytonartinstitute.org/visit or call 937-223-4ART (4278). Connect with the Dayton Art Institute on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for additional information, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, and exclusive offers.

Mateo is not a criminal

May 7, 2025 By Bill Franz

Mateo is not a criminal

As I worked on this and the other pieces in this series I wondered if any gallery would want to exhibit them. This work is a direct criticism of the president, and he’s doing his best to make people afraid to criticize him.

In his first 100 days in power the president has gone after everyone who’s ever made him mad. When he doesn’t attack people or institutions directly he mentions something online and his most rabid fans do his dirty work. When judges rule against him, for example, they and their families get hundreds of threatening emails and phone calls.

In this political atmosphere many people and institutions are trying to avoid any confrontation with the administration. That’s a common reaction to a bully – keep your head down and hope he doesn’t notice you. Even if the bully targets you the temptation is not to complain because he could always make it worse.

That’s why I wasn’t sure if this work would be exhibited. But I applied to ArtPrize anyway. That’s a huge art competition and festival held in Grand Rapids annually. This year it will run from September 18 to October 4. Over 800,000 people come to ArtPrize each year.

Within days of applying I got an email from one of the 149 participating venues inviting me to exhibit. Last weekend I drove to Grand Rapids to make sure that the owner of the business where I’d been invited to exhibit was fully on board with work that was political. He told me he didn’t see my art as political, and he himself never gets involved in politics. He sees what is being done to these children and their parents as a human rights issue. To him my work was about human rights, not politics.

So the work will be seen in Michigan this fall. Now I need to finish the work, and find more places where someone likes the art and is not worried about irritating the president and his most rabid fans.

Dayton at Work and Play: Matthew R. Burgy Artworks

May 6, 2025 By Bill Franz

Conversation with Matthew Burgy of Matthew R. Burgy Artworks (Front Street, Building 100, BC door, 3rd floor). Are you a full time artist now, Matthew?

“Well I was a part-time artist until recently. I was working full time at the Dayton Art Institute as a museum educator until they were forced to make some staff cuts. I am still teaching in some workshops at the Dayton Society of Artists but I’m primarily a working artist now.”

Are you selling here at Front Street? “I am. I’m working in this space and selling here too. I’m open for First Friday of course, but also every Saturday 11-4.”

Your booth has a lot of different types of art. “Yes, I do drawing, painting, print making, mixed media in addition to my kinetic work. It may seem to cover a broad range but I feel like it’s all related to nature.”

When I’m at Front Street I often stop by to look at your kinetic sculptures. How long have you been doing making mobiles?

“It goes back to my student days at Wright State. I was doing print making and I made a mistake and ruined a big sheet of aluminum. Rather than throw it away I cut it into parts and tried to make a mobile. A friend explained some of the physics of it, which helped, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I used to graph everything out, but now I have just a general idea and then see what happens. In fact rather than referring back to some drawing I’ve made I often just watch nature and see how things are balanced there.”

“In addition to mobiles that hang I’ve been making staybiles. They sit on a stationary pedestal and they have some moving parts . As I make them I’m trying to get motion without having the components hit the base. That gets a little tricky. Those with the red bead are part of a series – a seed series – based on the shape of helicopter seeds.”

As he talked with me Matthew was bending a piece of wire. Before I left he had made one of his face figures. “I need to get a name for these guys, because people seem to like them and I love making them.”

Matthew R. Burgy Artworks

Front Street, Building 100,
BC door, 3rd floor Studio #3345
Dayton, OH, 45402

Whispers in the Breeze Photo Exhibit at Rosewood Arts Center

April 21, 2025 By Dayton937

Rosewood Arts Center, Kettering Health Art Gallery announces the opening of Yiyun Chen X Fremaux-Valdez Solo Exhibition on April 21st. It will run through May 24th. Yiyun Chen’s photographic project, Whispers in the Breeze, began as a pastime and was prompted by the artist’s wandering as a pedestrian along Lake Erie. The project became a ritual, and then a process of self-reflection and self-discovery for the artist as an Asian immigrant – exploring the relationship between people, environment and society.

The collaborative work of partners Ghislaine and Lando Fremaux-Valdez is on a gargantuan scale, executed in gouache and pastel on paper. Each drawing naturalistically portrays one or both of the artists’ bodies (sometimes many times over), but deranges them through fragmentation, anatomical corruption, and/or pictorial chaos

Closing Reception and Artist Talks: May 24, 2025, 1 – 3 p.m.

Bill Franz’s Hidden Figures: Elon

March 17, 2025 By Bill Franz

I’ve always assumed that undocumented immigrants were wage earners. I was wrong. Hundreds of thousands of them have built businesses here. Those businesses tend to be small because it takes capital to grow a business, and raising capital can draw unwanted attention. That’s what happened to Elon, according to an October, 2024 article in the Washington Post. The Post interviewed Elon’s business associates, reviewed court records and got copies of company contracts to tell the following:

In 1995 Elon and his brother went to California to start a business, but the two Canadians did not have legal work status. Like most undocumented immigrants they had little capital so they slept in their office to save money. They worked hard and by 1996 the business was taking off. Investors were ready to put in money, but when they learned that Elon and his brother were undocumented they protected themselves with an unusual funding agreement. If the brothers did not get legal work status in 45 days the investors could reclaim their money. “We don’t want our founder being deported” one director was quoted as saying.

We don’t know if Elon met that 45 day deadline. People tell me getting legal work status is a long, slow process that takes years. We do know that he wasn’t deported, and in 2002 the business was sold for $300 million. Elon became a U.S. citizen that same year.

Elon denies the Post’s account but has given little detail about his journey from being Canadian to becoming a U.S. citizen. Elon’s brother is more candid. In 2013 he told interviewers that when the two brothers started their first business in the U.S. “We were illegal immigrants.”

The Post article tells us that the world’s richest man started his business career as an undocumented immigrant. What an inspiration to the hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who have built businesses here. I wish Elon would share details of his immigration journey. I’m sure that his fellow entrepreneurs would like to know how to get legal status in 45 days. Then, with the threat of deportation removed, those small businesses might grow and bring benefits to us all.

Hidden Figures: Salona

March 12, 2025 By Bill Franz

Salona, part of my series Hidden Figures. Salona is a Haitian name that means “rare ruby” or “most beautiful.”

President Trump said the Haitians in Springfield are criminals who eat people’s dogs and cats. In fact they are legal, documented immigrants recruited by local businesses and supported by city officials as being good for the community.

The Springfield News-Sun quoted one of the Haitian immigrants: “No one wants to leave their native country, but a lot of bad things are happening right now because of the gangsters. We’re working here, we’re paying taxes here. We’re just trying to pursue a better life.”

The president says he is taking away the Haitian’s status as legal immigrants in August. That would force them to choose between returning to a violent, dangerous homeland and becoming “hidden figures” unable to work, drive or do other things legally. If he carries through with this threat the president will be hurting our local economy and increasing the number of undocumented immigrants.

It’s clear to me that the president’s attitude towards the Haitians employed in Springfield would be different if they were white. Just compare his statements about those Haitians with his statements about white farmers who are citizens of South Africa. He offered those white farmers a rapid pathway to U.S. citizenship if the South African government took actions that made them feel unsafe.

The president has always been in favor of immigration – as long as the immigrants are white. During his first time in office he repeatedly said he wanted more immigrants from “nice” (white) countries like Norway. Some of the people closest to the president are white immigrants, including his first wife, his current wife and his most important advisor, Elon Musk.

Facing discrimination because they are not white is nothing new for black undocumented immigrants. They have always been more likely to be deported than other immigrants, and more likely to suffer abuse during the process. I hope Salona and her family stay safe.

New Photo Series By Bill Frana: Hidden Figures

March 5, 2025 By Bill Franz

The inspiration for this series was President Trump’s lies about the Haitian immigrants in Springfield. His statement that they are criminals who eat people’s cats and dogs caused even Ohio’s Republican officials to complain. When a powerful person lies it makes me wonder what he’s hiding. It makes me want to know more about all of the immigrants he’s threatened and lied about. That eventually led me to this series.

As I post the pieces in this series I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned about our country’s immigrants. In this piece some basic facts are built into the image. The boy is standing on an orange floor that takes up 11% of the image because 11% of the people now in the U.S. were born elsewhere and have documents that show they are now U.S. citizens or legal residents.

The gold band represents the 3% of people in the U.S. who were born elsewhere and don’t have documents. These are the millions of “hidden figures” President Trump says he’ll round up, imprison and send out of the country.

The background in blue refers to the 85% of people in the U.S. who are descendants of immigrants.

The top line is 1% of the image. It represents the only U.S. residents who are not immigrants or their descendants – Native Americans.

This series is about undocumented immigrants – hidden figures – and in this piece I’m using a photo of the boy I call Mateo to represent one of them. I have no idea whether this boy is actually an undocumented immigrant. He could be a fifth generation American. When I’m given the opportunity to photograph a child like this I don’t ask about his immigration status. I just say thank you and take the photo.

Dayton at Work and Play: Judd Platternburg, Sugarcereek Photography Gallery

March 3, 2025 By Bill Franz

I’m inspired every time I visit this gallery showing more than 300 prints by 12 excellent photographers. Recently I asked one of the founding members, Judd Plattenburg, to tell me about the start of the gallery.

“We’d been talking about starting a gallery for years” he told me, “and we finally took the plunge in 2022. The founding group was Jeff Smith, Bill (and Marty) Welch, Bill Woody and me. Since then we’ve added photographers and there are now a total of 12 of us.”

“Each photographer here has a different style and each focuses on a different subject area. My work includes a lot of shots taken from the water. Paddling is a hobby of mine and I love connecting my paddling hobby with my photography hobby. I am also showing quite a few shots taken in Cuba right now. I’ve visited there six times and have gotten great photos on each trip.”

“The photos you see on that wall are by Bill and Marty Welch. They are nature photographers and they’ve travelled from the Amazon to the Arctic Circle to get great photos. Marty has a photo of a polar bear cub cuddling with its mother that I just love. To get it they took a small plane to an island in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska.”

“The photos on display here are always changing, and sometimes even the whole theme of an area in the gallery changes. Bill Woody has been exhibiting his Urban Exploration photos for a while and he gave a talk about it last Saturday. Now I think he’s going to change everything and show his rural Ohio landscapes.”

I asked about the price range of the work in the gallery.

“Photography is generally less expensive than other art forms such as painting and sculpture. We have some pieces priced below $100 but most of the work is in the $200 to $400 range. Photography is also a lot more flexible than other art forms. Sometimes a person will like a work on display but its size is too great, so we print a smaller (and less costly) version for the customers. Other times a person is trying to make a dramatic statement in a large room, so we enlarge a photo he likes and make it 5 feet long.”

Sugarcreek Photography Gallery
15 West Franklin St.
Bellbrook, OH 45305

Hours:

Thurs & Fri

2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Sat & Sun 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Or call 973-317-0170 for Appt

Dayton At Work and Play: Ed Dixon

February 17, 2025 By Bill Franz

I remember showing some of my work at the gallery’s original location near the Arcade. Now it is in a great space near RiverScape.

Ed’s gallery is best known for its annual “We’re Doing it ALL Wrong” exhibition that runs from August 1 to September 28 this year. Artists from across the country submit work that highlights important social issues. I asked Ed where he got the idea for this annual show.

“I started my gallery 7 years ago” he told me. “From the first I wanted to do an exhibition with art work that was thoughtful and thought provoking – maybe even art that spurred people to take action. I didn’t want it to be political. I wanted it focused on issues. During that annual exhibition we sometimes have nonprofit nights, where people can learn more about the local groups that are addressing the issues referenced by the artists in the show.”

There is an interesting mix of art currently in the gallery, with prices ranging from $100 to $8,500. In the first photo above, Ed is standing in front of a beautiful painting by Beavercreek resident Alisa H Workman. She describes her work as lightly abstract floral art.

A group of colorful abstracts currently in the gallery was painted in Cuba by the late Julio Antonio Pino Varens. He had a friend in Dayton who arranged to have the work sent here.

Also traveling a fair distance are the two pieces currently in the corner by California artist Juko. “She grew up in Dayton” Ed told me. “We went to school together. We lost touch when she moved away and only recently reconnected. In California she got a PhD and has had a great career in forest conservation. And she paints amazing abstract works that I’m happy to bring to Dayton.”
“One of the things I like most about having a gallery is choosing what work to show. This spring we’ll be showing work by Dayton’s Susanne Scherette King. I’ll enjoy being surrounded by her work for a month.”

Next time you’re downtown you should stop by Edward A Dixon Gallery and see what art Ed is currently surrounding himself with.

222 North St Clair
Dayton, OH 45402

Hours:
Thurs, Sat & Sun 12pm – 5pm
Friday 3pm – 8pm

Can’t visit during normal hours? Make an appointment!
Click here to make an appointment or
You can also call 937-985-2115 or email [email protected].

Dayton at Work and Play: Kate Huser Santucci

December 30, 2024 By Bill Franz

For the last month Monday has been Buy Local day, where I’ve posted a brief conversation with someone selling goods or services in the Miami Valley.

This week my Buy Local conversation is with Kate Huser Santucci who is about to have her first exhibition of 2025. Kate uses as many as 30 layers of encaustic material on her pieces. That gives her work a sense of depth that draws viewers into the artwork.

Kate tells me she took up encaustic work just over 10 years ago. She was drawn to the ethereal feel of some encaustic work and the versatility of the medium. “You can be sculptural or really painterly, you can scratch parts off or draw lines on and do all kinds of other things” she told me.

“This exhibition is called Water Rising. I first started working on these pieces thinking about water and climate change but as time passed I realized these pieces meant other things to me on a personal level. They refer to trying to keep your head above water, trying to keep afloat. They’re about adapting to the added stressors of this time.”

“The show will be in the Dutoit Gallery (Front Street Warehouse, 1001 E 2nd St, Building 100, Door BC, Floor 3) all January. The opening is on First Friday, January 3 from 5 to 9 and after that the gallery is open every Saturday 12 to 4.”

DAI Exhibit Highlights Two Classic Animated Features

October 29, 2024 By Dayton937

Just in time for the holidays, enjoy these nostalgic exhibitions highlighting two beloved classics that continue to influence the art of animation at The Dayton Art Institute (DAI). Merry Grinchmas: Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic & (B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family, on view now through January 19, 2025. Just in time for the holidays, enjoy these nostalgic exhibitions highlighting two beloved classics that continue to influence the art of animation.

View original drawings of Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Chuck Jones, who brought Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday tale to life in the 1966 animated special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, then laugh alongside Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and Bart as you experience the original handmade animation cels of the acclaimed series.

“The art displayed in our newest exhibitions explores the significant influence animation has had in pop culture and the worlds of art, entertainment and business,” said DAI Head Curator & Curatorial Affairs Director Jerry N. Smith. “Animation art is beloved worldwide, and for many of us, this medium is our introduction to art. This work showcases how in each animated classic, thousands of individual artworks come together to tell a story and create a larger singular work.”

In 1966, the animation of Chuck Jones brought to life Dr. Seuss’ treasured 1957 children’s bookHow the Grinch Stole Christmas! The animated story is a true television classic, with generations tuning in annually to watch the story of redemption with the despicable Grinch, the sweet Cindy Lou Who and the innocent dog Max. The exhibition Merry Grinchmas: Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic features original cel art used in the cartoon’s production, along with concept drawings by Jones (famous for Looney Tunes) and those by Dr. Seuss.

(B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family showcases the often-irreverent antics of Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and Bart—alongside many other unforgettable figures from the longest-running animated series on American television. Since its debut in 1989, there have been more than 770 episodes. Initially crafted through traditional ink-and-paint techniques on transparent acetate cels, the first 13 seasons (1989–2002) were produced by hand before transitioning to cost-effective digital animation. These hand-drawn cels are featured in the exhibition. In the early seasons elements, now vital to the series, were created, including the famous sofa and living room set used to open each episode, which is replicated at the DAI, allowing guests the chance to truly enter the fictional world of Springfield.

Fun and colorful, these two exhibitions showcase the art of illustration. A family-friendly and nostalgic outing, guests will enjoy more than 400 works of original art, as well as interactive sensory stations, educational resources and photo opportunities.

“In addition to learning about the art of animation and illustration, those attending our newest special exhibitions can expect a joyful, playful, and nostalgic experience,” said DAI Director & President Michael R. Roediger. “This artwork was created to bring a smile to your face and brighten your day. We’re excited to offer each guest the chance to slip away from any of life’s stresses and spend time reconnecting with characters they know and love. These two exhibitions are fun, colorful and truly memorable.”

Several related programs will be offered in conjunction with the Merry Grinchmas: Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic & (B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family. These include:

Community Tour: November 2, 1–2 p.m.; November 23, 1–2 p.m.; December 7, 1–2 p.m.; December 19, 6–7 p.m.; January 18, 1–2 p.m.
Cost: Members: Free, Non-members: Included with the Price of Admission

Family Studio Special: December 7, 12:30–3:30 p.m.
Cost: Members: $20, Non-members: $25, Member Family 4-pack: $70, Non-member Family 4-pack: $90
Adult Studio Special: November 16, 12:30–3:30 p.m.
Cost: Members: $35, Non-members: $45
Ask Me Anything: November 7, 6–7 p.m., December 12, 6–7 p.m. and January 9, 6–7 p.m.
Cost: FREE

These exhibitions are from the collection of Bill Heeter and Kristi Correa.

Admission to Merry Grinchmas: Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic & (B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family is included in the museum’s general admission, which includes access to all Special and Focus Exhibitions currently on view, as well as the museum collection galleries. General admission is $15 adults; $10 seniors (60+), active military and groups (10 or more); $5 students (18+ w/ID) and youth (ages 7–17); and free for children (ages 6 & younger). Admission is free for museum members. Membership information can be found online atwww.daytonartinstitute.org/membership.

The Co Call for Artrisian- Created Items

September 24, 2024 By Dayton937

The CO is currently seeking artist / artisan-created items, ornaments, and decor for consignment for the holiday season. Submissions should meet the following criteria:

MUST

Be modern/contemporary in design and style; exhibit the highest level of craftmanship; be structurally sound, safe, non-toxic, fit for its intended use, and display ready; all necessary hardware and components must be included (earring backs, wired paintings, matted prints)
DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 1, 2024

NOT ACCEPTED

Country craft or boho; items with mechanically produced components (jewelry with commercially-produced chainmail or pendant); items featuring holiday tropes (Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas trees, etc)

HOW TO APPLY

Complete online submission form at codayton.org/shop or submit images to [email protected]
Upload JPEG images of proposed items

up to 5 images of items of the same media (eg 5 handblown glass vases)
up to 10 products will be accepted (exceptions apply to smaller items such as ornaments & jewelry)

QUESTIONS?

Call us at 937/224.3822 or via email at [email protected]

Click here for full application

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

August 29, 2024 By Dayton937

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.

Mark Echtner – Artist and Educator

August 12, 2024 By Bill Franz

I visited Mark at his home in Dayton’s South Park neighborhood. There was no answer when I knocked on his front door so I went around behind. I walked towards a small frame building at the back of the lot that I thought that might be Mark’s studio.

People tell me that should be my studio” said a voice behind me. “It’s an old carriage house, built in 1895. But the light is better inside the house. I didn’t hear you knock, but since you’re out back you can see my other artistic pursuit – this flower garden. When I bought this house in 2001 this backyard was just grass. I’ve planted all of this.”

We went into the house and into a small room off the dining room, with an easel on one side and a walls filled with art. “Much of this art will be in a show at Sinclair Community College, Building 13 (corner of 5th and Perry) in the 4th floor gallery. There’s free parking in lot K behind the building. The show runs from August 12 to September 13 and the gallery is open 8-6 Monday through Friday and 9-12 Saturday.”

Mark’s recent paintings, the ones that will be in his show, are different from the ones I’ve seen several years ago. I asked him about that. “I had a desire to include more abstract images along with realistic components, much like this de Kooning image I have framed on my shelf. This piece is a good example, with the primarily realistic images of the two men and the primarily abstract elements in the lower right.

“The colors of this series are also a change for me. I used to work in more earth tones but in this series I’m using a lot of cooler, more synthetic tones, more blue and especially magentas. And I use a lot of blacks to try to anchor things so the painting doesn’t get too busy. As I work on these pieces it’s less about tightening up my portrayal of something and more about the colors – do I need more blue, not does that eye look right.”

I asked Mark is he’d always been an artist I’ve always been an artist. “It was sort of a given since infancy. My parents met in college. My mother was a painter and my Dad was a metalsmith. My grandmother was an art teacher and her father was an architect. Both my sisters went into art as well. I got my MFA in Miami, which brought me to Ohio from my home in Wisconsin. Then I landed at Sinclair Community College where I’m a Professor in the Fine Arts Department.”

“I rework my paintings a lot. In one piece a woman was shopping at a corn stand carrying a bag. Now it’s a man shopping at the stand and carrying a baby. This piece I’m painting now probably has about 5 more hours of work before it’s done. I’ve already changed the position of the lady’s hand. I think I’ll darken the right side, to give the illusion of looking through a screen door. I’ll also pull the shadows a bit. And I need to decide if the man’s pants need a pocket. Now it sort of looks like he’s wearing tights.”

“I’ve created a lot of work for this show at Sinclair, and I’m looking forward to seeing it all up. You’ve seen a lot of it, Bill as you walk around the house. But some of it’s hanging beside older pieces and some is stacked two or three deep. It’ll be fun seeing it as a body of work all hanging together.”

Artist of the Week: Shawna Hatton

May 6, 2024 By Bill Franz

ARTIST OF THE WEEK Shawna Hatton of Chasing Light Art Studio and Gallery with her painting titled “The Poet.” I photographed Shawna at The Betty, a gallery at Front Street, where she’s had an exhibition since the beginning of March.

“I put a group of my larger works in this exhibition” she told me. “They’re from several time periods. This one was done quite a while ago. The pose is from one of my favorite paintings, “The Old Guitarist” by Picasso. The poem in the painting is something I came across that seems like it was written for all artists, not just poets – especially these lines:

The poet must look at the world,

Must enter into other men’s lives,

Must look at the earth and the sky,

Must examine the dust in the street,

I asked Shawna how she’d ended up in Dayton. “We travelled quite a bit as I was growing up. Then we moved here and I graduated from Centerville High School. Since then I’ve travelled a bit. I got an art degree at St Mary’s in Indiana and studied for a year in Rome. Then I was a graphic designer in Chicago, California, Denver, then back to California where I started teaching. I moved back here eight years ago and I love it.

The first job I got when I moved here was teaching at the Dayton Art Institute. I taught portraiture, the same class I’d taken there as a high school student. It felt like my life had come full circle.”

I also visited Shawna’s Gallery – https://www.chasinglightartstudio.com/ – at 1410 South Main Street, Studio C, Springboro, Ohio 45066. The studio is on the second floor, so you climb a flight of stairs to get to it.

At the top of the stairs you enter one of two small rooms where you can buy works by more than 15 area artists. Then you enter the large room where Shawna paints and where she gives classes.

“When I first moved to Springboro I took yoga classes here” Shawna told me. “As the morning sun streamed through these windows I always thought it would be a great place to paint. Now I can.””

“Opening this business four years ago has been like a dream come true. Now I can make art and teach in my own space. I first taught art to kids when I lived in California and I was surprised how much I loved it. I’m not sure I could tell you which of those activities – making art and teaching art – I like the best. I usually teach adults one-on-one, and I have regular group classes for kids.”

“For more visits to the studios of local artists go to https://billfranz17.com/ ”

Artist Marilynn Page: A Night At The Ballet

April 26, 2024 By Dayton937

The Edward A. Dixon Gallery in Downtown Dayton is collaborating with the Dayton Dance Initiative to put on a special Artist Reception for Marilynn Page and her Ballet inspired artwork.

An exhibition featuring several paintings by artist Marilynn Page will open First Friday, May 2024. “Marilynn was inspired by these powerful athletes to paint this particular series of work” says gallery owner Ed Dixon. He adds “The artwork is colorful, full of movement and shows the strength of these male and female dancers.”

The exhibition will open with an Artist Reception for Marilynn that will feature a performance by the Dayton Dance Initiative. A portion of the evening’s sales from the artwork will go to the Dayton Dance Initiative. The collective is made up of dancers from some of the area’s professional dance organizations. The dancers will put on a short performance the evening of the reception at 7pm with movements influenced by Marilynn Page’s artwork. “Through movement and live musical accompaniment, Dayton Dance Initiative dancers bring to life the ballet inspired paintings of Marilynn Page. Revel in Marilynn’s vision as it extends beyond the canvas into embodied expression, and ultimately into our hearts.” – Jennifer Sydor, Artistic Director, DDI.

The Artist Reception is free and open to the public and will be from 6pm-8:30pm(performance at 7pm) at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery located at 222 N. St. Clair Street. Light refreshments will be provided. Free on-street parking is available near the gallery. The exhibition will remain on view in May on Thursday through Sunday from 12pm-5pm each day except Fridays from 3pm-8pm.

The Edward A. Dixon Gallery

222 North St. Clair Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402

Thursday 12pm – 5pm
Friday 3pm – 8pm
Saturday 12pm – 5pm
Sunday 12pm – 5pm