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Visual Arts

Stratum: New Work by Amy Kollar Anderson & Kate Huser Santucci

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The Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC) presents Stratum, an exhibition featuring new, collaborative works by Dayton artists Amy Kollar Anderson and Kate Huser Santucci. This show opens February 22nd, and runs through March 24th. An Opening Reception will be held on February 22nd from 6 to 8pm.
A Gallery Talk is scheduled for March 2nd from 6 to 8pm. All events are free and open to the public.

Stratum is a project about collaboration and communication. Anderson and Stantucci each began with 20 birch wood panels that they traded back and forth, layering materials and documenting the progress. Santucci worked with oil-based mediums, focusing on encaustic, pigment and bone to create lush, natural-toned imagery. Anderson used acrylic-based materials such as pouring medium, mica and glitter resulting in slick and other-worldly surfaces. During sessions, panels would be worked until the artists felt resolved.The artists will be installing the final panels, along with their corresponding materials “log”, throughout the entire gallery in a free-form map reminiscent of the cryptographic mathematical formula-covered chalkboards by Nobel Laureate in Economics, John Nash, as depicted in the 2001 American biographical drama film A Beautiful Mind.

“Part of this process involved letting go of ego, and becoming comfortable with altering, covering, or sometimes even removing the others’ work,” stated Anderson and Santucci in a joint artists statement. “It built deep connections between us as artists. As the artworks evolved and moved towards completion, we became more comfortable with the process, allowing ourselves to become immersed in the visual dialogue that was taking place.

“A new, original collaboration, Stratum is at once a stunning deconstruction of the detritus of the layers of our natural world and, as each panel is displayed with a record of its process, is a seldom seen peek into the creative process,” stated Eva Buttacavoli, DVAC Executive Director.

 

ABOUT AMY KOLLER ANDERSON
Amy Kollar Anderson creates surreal narrative paintings inspired by natural forms and decorative arts. Her work has been exhibited throughout the region and internationally and she recently was awarded three commissions for the Dayton Public Library. Amy received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and went on to receive a Master of Humanities, with a focus in Fine Arts, at Wright State University. She lives with her husband in Dayton and until recently, was the Gallery Coordinator for Rosewood Gallery, Kettering before she left that position to pursue her art career full-time. She refers to her painting style as “Nouveaudelia,” incorporating Psychedelic Art and Art Nouveau aesthetics.

ABOUT KATE HUSER SANTUCCI
Kate Huser Santucci was born in 1971, and lives and works in Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from Wright State University in 1994 with a BFA in visual art with a concentration in sculpture and participated in an encaustic painting workshop with Susan Mulder at the Krasl Art Center in Michigan.  She has taught classes at the Dayton Art Institute and Rosewood Arts Centre, as well as private lessons for children. Her work has most recently been shown at the Rosewood Arts Centre in Kettering and Lily’s Bistro in Dayton. Public work includes a mural in downtown Dayton on E. 3rd St., and a series of three pieces for the new Southeast Branch of the Dayton Metro Library, opening in September 2018.  Her works are part of private collections in Dayton, Cincinnati, and St. Joseph, Michigan. Kate started her career as a sculptor and is now working in encaustic and mixed media.  The work combines wax painting with three dimensional techniques, found objects, and drawings. They focus on our place in nature, and our interconnectedness to the world outside and within our physical selves.

ABOUT DVAC
The Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC) helps sustain the arts community by providing a place to show, market, and sell work and helps satisfy the needs and wants of art-lovers who have a place to see artists’ work and, often, meet the artists. At its core, DVAC advances art for the community and a community for artists.

Meet Artisit Mikee Huber

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Mikee Huber of Mikee.arts.photography in her showroom / studio at Crane Studios Market (221 Crane Street).

Mikee’s abstracts have these beautiful swirling colors and are different than anything else I have seen. I asked her how long she’s been making these unique pieces.

“I am a graphic designer at Wright-Patt Air Force Base, and in my free time I am an avid hiker. About one and a half years ago I broke my foot. I couldn’t hike, so I poured my energy into painting. I worked with lots of different types of paint and lots of different techniques for about a year until I came up with this.”

I asked where people could see her work.

“Well I sell quite a bit right here in this studio. I also have pieces at The Blue Note Bistro and Lounge in Miamisburg, at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery in downtown Dayton, at a special members’ show at Springfield Museum of Art (Ohio) and at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison, Indiana. Online, I was just invited to apply to be in the most recent exhibition of Apero Gallery.”

Local Art Gallery Now Accepting Bitcoin

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The newest art gallery in Downtown Dayton is breaking new ground again by now accepting the hot cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin. The Edward A. Dixon Gallery is no doubt among the first area businesses to accept Bitcoin, especially in the art market.

Bitcoin is a new currency that was created in 2009 by an unknown person using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. Transactions are made with no middle men – meaning, no banks! Bitcoin can be used to book hotels on Expedia, shop for furniture on Overstock and buy Xbox games. But much of the hype is about getting rich by trading it. The price of bitcoin skyrocketed into the thousands in 2017. (source money.cnn.com)

The Edward A. Gallery is also accepting Ethereum and Ripple as part of its payment method expansion. In a very rapidly changing market, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple represented the top 3 digital currencies by market capitalization at the time of this press release.

About Edward A. Dixon Gallery

The gallery is located at 12 South Ludlow Street, Dayton, OH 45402. Current hours are Friday 4pm-8pm, Saturday 12pm-4pm and open by appointment.

The gallery’s website is eadgallery.com and features updates on hours of operations and new art & exhibitions. The gallery is also on Instagram and Twitter @eadgallery.

Call For Artists

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Call for proposal for the East End Community Mural Project is now OPEN! This project will create five neighborhood murals to welcome visitors to the Twin Towers Neighborhood. The public art is meant to change negative perceptions of the area and re-imagine it as ‘Green, Creative and Diverse’, with images depicting urban farms, artistic assets, and rich cultural diversity.

Download the Request For Proposals Here:  EEC Mural RFP

Informative Meeting/ Q& A with Danielle Weickert and Colleen Kelsey:
When: Saturday, January 13, 2 PM
Where: Dayton Society of Artists, 48 High St. Dayton, OH 45419

 

PROJECT CALENDAR:

 Saturday, January 13, 2 PM
Q & A Meeting with  Danielle Weickert and Colleen Kelsey
with the public at the Dayton Society of Artists:

 Sunday, February 4, 2018
Deadline for Submission: Sunday, February 4, 2018

Monday, February 26, 2018
Notification of selected artists

Friday, March 2, 2018
Notification to public

Friday, March 9, 2018
Finalists present community engagement and mural proposals

Artist and Teams are asked to engage in a spirit of collaboration with the community by reflecting on community responses during this meeting.

 March 1 – May 31
Production Phase

May 31
Deadline for Mural Completion:

TBD
Dedication of public murals:

ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to established and emerging artists, or artists team, living in the Miami Valley area and who are 18 years or older. Priority is given to artists who have demonstrated experience in managing similar projects.

Top Ten Visual Arts Events in 2017

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It was a vibrant year for the visual arts in Dayton. Choosing only ten exhibitions and events is not an easy feat, and regrettably there were many that didn’t make this list. The ten here inspired me, and in my opinion were remarkable for the many reasons listed below! Enjoy!

Robert Blackstone
Crystal City
Courthouse Square, Downtown Dayton
Ongoing, opened in September 2017

Robert Blackstone’s imagination, memories and stories infuse his monumental Crystal City with a wide range of emotion and wonder. Created in several versions over the past 25 years, Blackstone’s large-scale installation is dense with materials from thrift shops, garage sales, the garbage and off the street. Crystal City is a memorial to family, to Dayton, a testament to love and an ongoing passion for creating something meaningful. Check in at the Collaboratory to learn when Crystal City is open to the public at http://www.daytoncollaboratory.org.

Susan Byrnes
Motion Capture
Dayton Art Institute Experiencenter
December 2017 – April 2018

Inspired by movement, painting and technology, Susan Byrnes’ Motion Capture is a series of photo stills, animations, and clothing with imbedded light technology. Created with students at Dayton’s Cleveland Elementary School and in collaboration with artist Tess Cortes, Motion Capture demonstrates “light drawing,” and the ever-present technological tools that influence our daily lives. Download the Pablo app, put on the light-up jacket and shimmy on the exhibition dance floor to create your own light drawing! More information at http://www.daytonartinstitute.org.

The Secrets We Keep
New Works by Zoe Hawk, Ashley Jonas & Stephanie McGuinness
Dayton Visual Arts Centre
January 13-February 24, 2017

 

The Secrets We Keep featured paintings, prints and installations referencing domesticity and relationships. The intimate worlds created by artists Zoe Hawk (Doha, Qatar), Ashley Jonas and Stephanie McGuinness (Dayton, Ohio) reveal many ideas of the home and of the familiar, but also inner anxieties and the unexpected. Learn more at daytonvisualarts.org.

Michelle Stitzlein
Industrial Nature
Springfield Museum of Art
January 21 – May 28, 2017

Texturally dense, found object tapestries made Michelle Stitzlein’s Industrial Nature a knockout exhibition. Stitzlein’s transformation of garden hoses, wires, hub caps, and other household items were pushed to a grand scale, giving the audience an opportunity to reckon with the environment, waste and nature, all while being drawn into beautiful abstract worlds. Learn more at http://www.springfieldart.net.

Beth Cavener Demonstration
Rosewood Arts Centre
April 27 – 30, 2017

It is not often that a three-day artist demonstration can impact people’s lives, but it happened with ceramic artist Beth Cavener. In conjunction with the Hi Fructose exhibition at the Akron Art Museum, Cavener spent three days at Rosewood explaining her ceramic sculpture process to a captivated audience while creating a 500-pound clay hare. Her tenacity as an artist, innovation with material and generosity in sharing her story was truly inspiring. Learn more at http://www.playkettering.org/rosewood.

Colette Fu
Structure Unbound: Interdisciplinary Book Art
The Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, Wright State University
January 17 – February 26, 2017

Structure Unbound examined how pop-up books and paper structures can create narratives and stories in three-dimensional space. Colette Fu was the featured artist, whose artwork demonstrated the mastery of documenting ideas, people and moments of rural Chinese traditions in the form of a pop-up book. Her artworks are remarkably constructed, visually compelling, fresh, and transform what could be traditional documentary images into contemporary times. Learn more at liberal-arts.wright.edu/art-galleries.

Reimagining Works
Dayton Metro Library

Terry Welker, “Fractal Rain,” 2017, stainless steel, acrylic prisms.

The Dayton Metro Libraries, through the conceptual direction of local art hero Jane Black, launched Reimagining Works in conjunction with the renovation and rebuild of their dozen-plus facilities. Reimagining Works asked artists to find inspiration in the Dayton Art Institute collection and propose a new piece to add to Dayton’s legacy. This year, the Main Branch in downtown Dayton opened to much celebration and included significant works by Terry Welker, Susan Byrnes, Paula Wilmot Kraus, Katherine Kadish, Andrea Myers and Gretchen Durst Jacobs. Learn more at daytonmetrolibrary.org.

Rosewood Gallery’s Year of Paper
Cynthia Gregory, The Poet’s Desk, March 6 – April 7, 2017
Heather Lea Reid, Intersubjective Indulgence, March 6 – April 7, 2017
Emily Moores, Cathedral, April 17 – May 19, 2017
Nicholaus Arnold, No One Was Having a Very Good Time, July 17 – August 18
Frank Travers, What Remains, July 17 – August 18
Andrew F. Dailey, Drawn Through, October 16 – November 17

Nicholaus Arnold, “No One Was Having a Very Good Time,” 2016, paper bag installation.

Mid-career artists working with paper stood out in Rosewood Gallery’s 2017 solo exhibitions. The material was pushed in different directions by each artist, including Heather Lea Reid’s colorful depictions of her daughter, Emily Moores reimagined architectural space in cut paper, Cynthia Gregory’s re-creation of objects in paper, Andy Dailey’s intimate graphite drawings, Nicholaus Arnold’s ominous environment of paper bags, and Frank Travers anthropomorphic prints. Through these many exhibitions, these artists reinforced the material as a versatile vehicle for art. Learn more at www.playkettering.org/gallery.

James Luckett, The View Behind the Café, and Leah Stahl, Artifacts
Dutoit Gallery
June 2017

Leah Stahl, “Unknown Backseat Specimen 23” from “Artifacts” series

Both James Luckett and Leah Stahl find the invisible in the world they inhabit, and create images that recognize the beauty, oddities and unexpected things most would not even think to notice. Luckett’s The View Behind the Café manages to find still lifes in a strip mall parking lot by his place of employment. Stahl’s children unintentionally helped inform her project Artifacts creating the evidence that Stahl documents of things they touched, lost and discarded in the nooks and crannies of their lives. Learn more at www.dutoitgallery.com.

Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence
Dayton Art Institute
June 24 2017 – September 10 2017

Ntombephi “Induna” Ntobela, “Tribute to My Sister Bongiswa,” 2010. Glass beads sewn onto fabric. Anacostia Community Museum/Smithsonian Institution

The DAI’s summer exhibition was colorful, intricate and awe-inspiring. Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence showcased the labor-intensive artworks created by a group of South African women. The subjects depicted range from AIDS awareness to the natural world to religious icons. An exhibition sure to cause anxiety for the impatient artist! Learn more at daytonartinstitute.org.

BONUS PICKS

Beth Holyoke
The Refugee Series
Yellow Springs Brewery
March 6 – April 2
Affected by the tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis, artist Beth Holyoke has spent months volunteering in Greek refugee camps and translating the crisis into her artwork. Drawn onto ceramic pieces, Holyoke captures stories, feelings and the effects of transience and displacement. Learn more at yellowspringsbrewery.com.

Breathing Deeply, Pushing Back
Dayton Visual Arts Center
August 25 – September 22
A remarkable exhibition that hinged on so-called controversial artwork created by teenagers, Breathing Deeply, Pushing Back was an investigation of the artist as activist. The exhibition featured students from the Dayton Regional STEM School and guest artists Michael Casselli, Carris Adams, Juan-Si Gonzalez and Christina Springer.

Tyler Peffley
Diction
Blue House Gallery
June 2017
Tyler Peffley exhibition Diction explored moments of technology, place and popular culture in over 70 drawings. Often representing the figure in decades past, Peffley utilizes the intimate and immediate media of watercolors and graphite to capture each scene. Learn more at http://thebluehousearts.com/.

A Breath of International Air In a Local Dayton Art Gallery

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Where do you go for a taste of the international art world right here within the Dayton community? 

12 S Ludlow, next to the Fifth Third garage, there is an art gallery. Edward A. Dixon Gallery, to give it a name. It opened recently, the ribbon was cut just a few months ago on September 22nd, and like most Dayton art galleries you may find, it’s run by an art-loving long-time member of the Dayton community: Ed Dixon.

Ed’s been working in Dayton for years now, but it was more than love of art and Dayton that made him decide to open the Ludlow gallery; the Edward A. Dixon Gallery was opened with a purpose.

Any reader of DMM is more than likely familiar with Dayton’s unique community. It’s friendly, it’s collaborative, it’s deep, so on and so on — I’m sure you all can fill in your own adjectives. At Edward A. Dixon’s Gallery, it’s global.

It’s a pretty small shop, but the art within speaks to places far beyond its Dayton home, which is what makes Edward A. Dixon’s gallery a Dayton one of a kind; an entrance to Ed’s gallery is an entrance to a deeply diverse art experience. The gallery features a mix of paintings, sculptures, etchings, and more from a wide variety of eras in art. Ed hopes to freshen the Dayton art landscape with a breath of high-end local, regional, and international artwork. You may find oil paintings from France, abstract etchings from Germany, you may even find an acrylic-oil rendition of one of your favorite albums.

Or, if you come now, you may find the work of the Cuban painter Julio Antonio Pino Varens. Pino Varens is an abstract Colorist whose work often blends Afro-Cuban legends with Varens’ personal experiences.

Pino Varens continues to paint from home amidst both harsh creative and importation restrictions enforced upon artists by the Communist Party of Cuba. Pino Varens’ struggle for artistic freedom means less access to essential supplies as well, making it all the more difficult for Julio’s art to reach beyond Cuba.

The works ties in nicely with the featured “What Is Art” exhibit hanging on a wall nearby. The project addresses the boundaries and definitions debated over for ages when discussing the quality of an artist. Ed is proud to add the perspective of Pino Varens’ work which bursts with character and color

that warrants a trip to Ludlow St. in its own right.

The Edward A. Dixon Gallery is currently featuring four of Pino Varens’ works, each of which are currently for sale. The collection at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery is meant to build excitement for Pino Varens’ coming summer exhibit in the Fifth Third office , which will be showcasing Pino Varens’ most recent, on-going work.

If you don’t want to wait till then, or want a piece of the international community here in Dayton, stop by the Edward A. Dixon Gallery on Friday between 4-8p, Saturdays 12-4p, or by appointment.

Rosewood Gallery Call for Proposals

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The City of Kettering, Ohio and Rosewood Arts Centre invite artists working in any media to submit proposals for exhibition in Rosewood Gallery during the 2019 Exhibition Season (January – December). Proposals must be submitted via Call for Entry  by April 27, 2018.

Rosewood Gallery specializes in the exhibition of contemporary art by emerging local, regional and national artists. It is dedicated to the encouragement and creation of new works and to the promotion of the visual arts in the Dayton, Ohio area. Eight solo exhibitions are presented each year in Rosewood Gallery, with support from the City of Kettering Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts and the Ohio Arts Council.

A selection committee composed of three regional art professionals will make recommendations from submissions of work for exhibition. Notifications of the jurors’ decision will be emailed by the end of May 2018.

All media will be considered for exhibition, including video and installation pieces. Exhibition proposals must include the following:

1. A cover letter describing the proposed exhibition, any special installation requirements, potential public engagement programs, and available dates.

2. An artist’s statement, resume, and previous exhibition record.

3. Ten (10) images and corresponding titles, media, dimensions and dates. The committee will be presented with only 10 images for consideration. If the work you are submitting is for example only, please be specific in your explanation of what you propose to present in the gallery if selected.

The City of Kettering insures all works while on exhibition  and covers printing and distribution costs of an announcement mailer for each exhibition. A transportation and shipping honorarium of $100 is provided to artists selected for exhibition. Any cost reimbursement requirements over and above the $100 honorarium should be listed and explained in the proposal. Rosewood Gallery does not provide equipment for multimedia installations. The gallery walls are constructed of drywall over plywood and cannot be altered other than by use of standard hanging hardware. Various pedestals are available for exhibitions. Educational programs and artist talks are strongly encouraged and may merit additional funding, per negotiation. Current employees of the City of Kettering are not eligible for solo exhibitions. For inquiries, email Tracy Flagg Centers, Gallery Coordinator.

 

Dayton Immigrant Portrait Project

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Knack will be hosting an exhibit of portraits and quotes from the Dayton Immigrant Portrait Project, Oct. 4-6, 4-8 pm each evening. This show is presented in conjunction with the Distinguished Speaker: Rev. Dan Groody, which is co-sponsored by Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Catholic Social Action Office in partnership with Weavers of Justice, a Catholic parish social action collaborative.

Rebecca Sargent – Artist and Educator

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Rebecca Sargent spends her days at K12 Gallery & TEJAS, Dayton’s leading arts education organization, which is in Dayton’s most colorful building. 

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“I started volunteering at K12 eighteen years ago” Rebecca told me.  “Then I went to college at Wright State and taught art part-time at K12.  I left to go to grad school in Philadelphia and came back to Dayton at the perfect time.  K12 had just doubled their space and was adding TEJAS (Teen Educational Adult Studio).  I was hired to coordinate TEJAS on a part- time basis and I also did the “adjunct shuffle” – teaching at Wright State, Sinclair Community College and Stivers School for the Arts.  Then eight years ago I started working at K12 full time.  Recently I was promoted to Program Director.”

“Working for a non-profit can be challenging.  There’s so much work to do and the financial rewards aren’t great.  But I love it.  I feel very fortunate to be here.”

“Anytime I feel low, I can just walk around the building and see young artists like these, and then I cheer right up.”

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Rebecca makes her own art in a studio at her home.  She and her husband live in this home on a quiet side street in Dayton.

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Rebecca paints in a converted garage at the rear of her home. It’s an ideal space, with lots of light from skylights she’s added.  With the windows and the roses, it reminded me of a rustic cottage.

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When I entered, I looked for Rebecca’s work bench.  I make a habit of photographing work benches whenever I get the chance.  No two are ever alike.  Rebecca’s work bench didn’t disappoint, with its pens, pencils, brushes, papers for her collages, some paints, and a pile of garlic bulbs from her garden.

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Her painting work table was less individualistic, but more colorful.

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Before she starts a painting, Rebecca creates a collage that guides her as she paints.  This collage was taped to the wall to the right of her easel.

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When I visit some artists, they pretend to paint while I take photos. But Rebecca didn’t want to waste time. She had a few free days and she was going to make them count.

When I started watching her work, this canvas only had a background color. But in a relatively short amount of time Rebecca brought it to life, loosely guided by the collage.

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This painting was for an exhibition that Rebecca and Ann B. Kim were having at Dutoit Gallery called “Same Same but Different.”

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I asked Rebecca how long it takes her to complete a painting.  “Once I’ve made the collages and worked out ideas as a starting point, I typically finish an individual painting in a few weeks.  I’m a pretty fast painter and tend work in bursts.  However, an entire series of 12-14 paintings will take me an entire year to complete.”

“I create work in a series, working on several paintings at one time.  I tend to stop working on a painting before I totally finish it.  Sometimes I fear that I’ll “over-work” the piece, or need to work out a few more ideas before I feel like I can finish it.”

“My work typically involves structures and architectural spaces.  This series is different for me because I have added figures into these spaces.  This presents a new challenge so far as paint handling.  But I like this addition because it provides me the opportunity to further explore a narrative in my work.

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Before leaving, I asked Rebecca to lay down her brush and pose for me.

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A month or two after this visit I went to Rebecca’s show at Dutoit Gallery.  I loved her work, especially the piece I watched her work on.  The title of the piece was great:  “Is Bill Still Watching?”

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More of her work can be found at: rebeccasargent.com

Meet Ann B. Kim – Mixed Media Artist

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Ann B. Kim is an accomplished artist and an active member of the Dayton arts community, but I didn’t reach out to meet her until I learned she was participating in a two-person exhibition in the Dutoit Gallery this September with my friend Rebecca Sargent.

Ann’s studio is in one of Dayton’s Front Street buildings.  

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These Front Street buildings are filled with artists and interesting small businesses, but they were originally built for manufacturing.  They were part of an early factory development project based on water power.  A company called Dayton Hydraulic Company bought the land in the 1840s and built a water channel from the Mad River that eventually emptied into Dayton’s canal.  They sold the lots to all kinds of manufacturers and leased the use of the water to power the plants.

I climbed the industrial staircase and then entered Ann’s large studio.

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I asked Ann how she came to Dayton.

“I went to school in the San Francisco area, first at UC Berkeley and then at Mills College.  I came to this area to teach at Indiana University East in Richmond.  My husband is from Dayton and we decided to live here and for me to keep my studio practice here, and drive to Richmond to teach.”

“I was a bit reluctant to leave San Francisco but it’s worked out well.  I love my teaching job, and there is an active arts scene here with a lot of great artists.  Plus the low cost of living is great.”

As we talked Ann was busy cutting and pasting bits of paper to an issue of the New Yorker.

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I asked Ann how much time she gets to spend working in her studio.

“I’m pretty busy teaching during the week, but I try to spend most of the weekend here in the studio in a typical week.  But this year isn’t going to have too many typical weeks because I have so much scheduled.  I have the show with Rebecca Sargent in September, plus I’m vice president of the Dayton Society of Artists.  In addition I will be circling the globe.”

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“My travels will start in Vladivostok Russia.  That’s the closest place I can visit to where my grandfather was born.  Then I will travel to the end of the Trans Siberian Railroad, stopping at two places.  In preparation for this trip I plan to learn something new – paper making.  I want to learn both Eastern style paper making and Western style.  This paper in front of me is Korean style paper sent to me by my mother.”

“I also plan to gather newspapers on my travels and use them in my art, along with the New York Times for those exact dates.”

“This year I will also have two residencies – one in Southern Spain for 2 months and one in New Zealand for a month.  Those two places are antipodes.  They are completely opposite points on the globe and the art I make at these places will reflect that.”

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I know that Ann has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally, and I recognized some of the pieces in the studio from exhibition brochures I had seen.  I asked Ann to tell me something about her mixed media work.

” You can see that I’m creating work  that is layered with symbols of all kinds – past, present, future, fragmentation, artifacts, imagination all looped together so that various cultures and moments in time seem to coexist. ”

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Before leaving, I asked Kim to help me create my own works of art.  We moved a pink studio chair in front of one of her art works and she posed for me.

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Call For Artists: Musical Themed Mural Wanted

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This is a request for proposals for a mural that has a music theme to be located on the City of Dayton Transportation Center Garage.

The site is located near the future home of the Levitt Pavilion, Dayton’s free outdoor amphitheater planned to open at Dave Hall Plaza in 2018. The mural should reflect the spirit or music, musicians, and musical performance. The inclusion of Dayton’s rich musical past, present, and future, as well as any other interpretation of how music plays a role in our city’s rich cultural fabric is highly encouraged.

Location
The City of Dayton Transportation Center Garage is located in Downtown Dayton and bounded by Jefferson, Fourth, St. Clair, and Stone streets

Specifically, the mural will be installed on the west face of the garage (along Jefferson Street) focusing on the inset cement block walls (see image on the next page). This location is across Jefferson Street from the Levitt Pavilion site.

Goal
To enliven the Jefferson streetscape with a mural that has a music theme, which is appropriate due to the site’s proximity to the Levitt Pavilion and other establishments that feature live music.

Timeline
Call for Submission Opens                   September 1, 2017
Submission Deadline:                           October 9, 2017 midnight
Notification of Semi-Finalists:                October 13, 2017
Final Design Deadline:                          October 23, 2017
Notification of Design Selection:           October 27, 2017
Project Production:                                October 30-November 10, 2017

The proposed mural shall encompass at least the center of the three bays. That center bay is approximately 389 square feet in area, with the glass block windows not included. The left bay has the same height and width, but also has the door area. The right bay is approximately 383 square feet in area.

Background Information
The City of Dayton Transportation Center Garage, completed in 1973, was part of the Mid-Town Mart Urban Renewal Area.  Over the years, it has primarily served patrons of the Dayton Convention Center and the Crowne Plaza Hotel. However, a number of recent developments have increased its role and importance for not just the immediate area, but all of Downtown Dayton.

In addition to the Convention Center and hotel, the garage serves or has the ability to serve a number of other downtown employers, Levitt Pavilion patrons, as well as to potentially serve patrons of the Oregon District entertainment area. This puts the Transportation Garage, arguably overlooked and underutilized for decades, as now having a cornerstone role in the increased density of visitors and activity in Downtown Dayton.

In association with this expanded role, the City of Dayton and its partners seek to improve the convenience, functionality, and visual impact of the garage. The garage was designed from a predominately utilitarian perspective four decades ago—and it shows. By applying relatively low-cost/high impact improvements, such as signage, lighting, and public art, we can increase usage and improve visitor experience.

Eligibility
Eligibility for the project is as follows:
·       Any amateur or professional artist or designer age 18 and older is eligible to apply. Artists under the age of 18 may apply if they are part of a team with at least one member that is 18 or older.
·       Applications must have primary residence within a 40-mile radius of downtown Dayton.
·       Applications must submit a complete proposal through the CAFÉ system (callforentry.org).
·       Submissions can be made by individuals, groups, classes or teams.
·       Submission fee is $10 per application and open to the public within the eligible geography.
·       Three Semi-Finalists will be selected to submit a final design.
·       Final Design will be selected by a committee made up of Dayton and Levitt Pavillion officials and arts professionals.
·       If selected, be available for a consultation with K12’s mural team in early November 2017.
·       If selected, sign an agreement with project organizers.

Compensation
·       Semi-Finalists will receive a modest stipend of $125 for to their final design.
·       The selected artist will earn a $2,500 stipend for their design.

Proposal Requirements
Complete proposals shall include:
1.     Application with complete contact information
2.     Proposed site design – designs should be submitted as high resolution .jpg. Up to three images may be submitted from different vantage points, one of which should be rendered to scale applied to the intended building/surface.
3.     In addition to submitting proposed designs, applicants may choose to include qualifications to install the mural, or submit designs only. If the submission is for design only, DVAC will contract with K12 Gallery Mural Production team to install the mural.
4.     Résumé or brief biography of the artist/team’s experience with references
5.     Examples of other relevant work samples – one minimum image, three maximum
6.     Artist statement about the design, including a description of your design vision for the project, creative approach and other relevant information (one-page maximum)
7.     $10.00 Application fee

Artist Morris T. Howard

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Morris returned to his home town of Dayton a few years ago when his mother became ill. “I thought I would stay in Dayton for only a few weeks,” he told me. “That was a couple of years ago, and I’m still here.”

Since returning to Dayton, Morris has been welcomed into the area’s art community. He designed the mural that was installed at the Transportation Center Garage, across the street from The Neon Movie, last fall. Then he was chosen to paint a mural at Dayton Visual Arts Center called “Back in the Day When We Used to Dance.” Morris also teaches art for K12 Gallery and TEJAS at JCARE, one of the Montgomery County Juvenile Courts facilities where K12 coordinates art classes for court involved teens.

I saw that Morris was a perfectionist as he showed me some of his paintings. With each one, he told me what he could have done differently to make it better. The painting in this photo has already been shown in one exhibition, but Morris decided to change one small detail to improve the work.

This year his paintings have appeared in two Dayton exhibitions. The first, Dayton Skyscrapers, was shown at the Schuster Center, at the DP&L Headquarters, and at the Ebonia Gallery. The second, Breathing Deeply, Pushing Back, is currently at the Dayton Visual Arts Center.

I asked Morris if he planned to stay in Dayton. “I’m not sure if I will be staying here” he said “but it seems like people want me to stay. That’s a good feeling.”

 

Dayton Art Institute Names Chief Curator

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The Dayton Art Institute has announced the appointment of Jerry N. Smith, Ph.D., as the museum’s Chief Curator, effective September 26.

“After an extensive national search, we are excited to welcome Dr. Jerry Smith to the museum and the Dayton community,” said The Dayton Art Institute’s Director & CEO Michael R. Roediger. “Dr. Smith possesses an extensive curatorial, scholarly and administrative background–skills that will be immediately utilized as the museum prepares for its centennial in 2019.”

 

In his role as Chief Curator, Smith will provide leadership to the museum’s curatorial department, guiding the vision of future collection installations and special exhibitions. A key part of that will be the reinstallation and reinterpretation of the museum’s permanent collection galleries, planned as part of The DAI’s centennial celebrations. The Dayton Art Institute’s permanent collection numbers more than 26,000 objects, with as many as 1,000 on view at any time.

 

“I’m excited to join the Dayton community and am looking forward to working with The Dayton Art Institute’s team,” Smith said. “With a world-class collection and storied history, The DAI has a tremendous amount to celebrate with its coming centennial. I’m honored to be part of that celebration.”

 

Smith most recently served as the Hazel and William Hough Chief Curator and Interim Director at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida. Prior, he held leadership positions at the Phoenix Art Museum for more than a decade, where he began as associate curator in 2005, was appointed to Curator of American and Western American Art in 2009, and later to Curator of American and European Art to 1950 and Art of the American West in 2014.

 

In these positions he introduced numerous works into the museums’ collections and oversaw more than 40 exhibitions that spanned the art of the Renaissance to American modernism and contemporary art of the American West. The diverse exhibitions he has curated or co-curated include Georgia O’Keeffe: Ingénue to Icon, Riding Tall: The Cowboy in Art, Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester and The Power of Observation and Andy Warhol: Portraits.

 

He was a contributing organizer and catalogue essayist for In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein and Cézanne and American Modernism. Smith authored Howard Post: Western Perspectives, and was co-author of Don Coen: The Migrant Series. He recently collaborated on a chapter for Visitor-Centered Exhibitions and Edu-Curation in Art Museums (2017).

 

Smith holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art history from Arizona State University and received his Ph.D. in the history of art from the University of Kansas. Active in The Association of Art Museum Curators, he serves in career support groups, as liaison between mentors and mentees, and currently sits on the governance and nominating committee.

Ladyfest Celebrates Dayton’s Female Creatives!

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This weekend, don’t miss out on Ladyfest Dayton, the music & art festival that highlights the fabulous women of Dayton! The annual celebration is hosted over Labor Day weekend at Yellow Cab Tavern. Organizers state that they hope to bring together and inspire people through music, art, and education. While the festival itself is a celebration of women in the arts, their goal is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of gender identity.

Attending Ladyfest is not just cool, it’s also a way to give back directly to the community. Past Ladyfests have benefited PUSH Dayton, Artemis Center, and Planned Parenthood. In 2015, the festival raised $6,584.14 for WE CARE ARTS. In 2016 they raised $8,300 for the Dayton YWCA Shelter Services. LADYFEST 2017 will benefit Oak Tree Corner.

Keep scrolling for details on how to go to the event, who will be there, and what to enjoy!

How to Go:

FRIDAY SEPT 1: 7pm-1am
SATURDAY SEPT 2: 5pm-1am

at Yellow Cab Tavern

Cost: $10 pre-sale

Children under 12 are free

Friday September 1st, 2017

8pm – Spanish Tony Sanchez
8:30 – Cricketbows
9 – Team Void
9:30 – ThunderTaker
10 – Fairmount Girls
10:30 – Counterfeit Madison
11 – Enzo
11:30 – Mary Lynn
12 – SKRT
12:30 – Yikes a Band

From Ladyfest 2016


Saturday September 2nd, 2017

5:30pm – Talking About the Young Sound Showcase
6:30 – Rite of Venus
7 – Kyleen Downes Band
7:30 – Jess Lamb and The Factory.
8 – Lipstick Fiction
8:30 – Calamity Day
9 – Cherubim
9:30 – The Jettisons
10 – Moira
10:30 – Jasper the Colossal
11 – Lung
11:30 – Ladyfest Announcements/Thank yous
11:45 – Erika Wennerstrom
12:30 – Abertooth Lincoln

Visual Art Presented by:
Presley Wells
Ava Roseberry
Johnna LaFaith
Whitney Marie
Sam Chamberlain
Viktoria K Dekay
Jes McMillan
Erin Manning
Fe Meier
Amber Gwin
Amberlynne Crain
Aria-Blair Bottorff
Emily Lux
Erica Blackstock
Gabrielle Renee Ross
Hannah Buchanan
Jimmy Nabler
Kara Macko
Kelsey Lynn Tyree
Theresa F Lopez
Jen Dyke
Alyshia Alagiak Osborn
Michelle A. Carr
Clara Coleman
Chyanne Moore
Ellen Bukvic
Misty Dawn Brothers
Jess Fecke
Tiffany Clark
Kelsey Esken
Jordan Contway
Abigail Ryan Carpenter
Rachael Lare

Khrys Blank, Sharon A. Lane and Jennifer Taylor at Ladyfest 2016.

Local Vendors:
Lady Creepshow Couture, Jessica Dubis Jewelr,
Dottie P, Miss Motleys, Moonlit Glass
Pam’s Stepping Stones, Ohio Henna,
Flower Child Face Painting Co,
Lissa Lush, Rusty Clementine, Quilted Kat
Pining For Signs, Earthly Rearrangements ,
Tasha’s Common Scents, Barefoot Girl Soap Company ,
lstonerocksesigns ,Vintage Lady Vinyl

Food Trucks:

Zombie Dogz

Wicked ‘Wich

Comedy Showcase hosted by Karen Jaffe

Poetry Showcase from Dayton Poetry Slam
CeCe, Nicole Combs Alex Montgomery, Tina Puntasecca, Sima, Quiet Storm, Page Turner, Furaha, Kaity Lovitt. Sydny, CoCo

Acoustic Stage
Mandy Jewell , Pamela Baugham
Kat & Geoff, Blossom Hall
Kate Wakefield , Georgia Goad, Moriah Haven , Sharon Lane, Reyna Spears

Luminaries of Dayton: The Dog as a Cemetery Symbol

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The dog symbolizes loyalty, fidelity, watchfulness and vigilance.

The most famous dog at Woodland is the one found atop the monument of Johnny Morehouse, one of the most well-known and visited monuments at Woodland.

There are more than one hundred thousand of Dayton’s finest citizens buried at Woodland Cemetery, but no tombstone or monument commands as much respect and attention as “The Boy & Dog.”

The monument, with 5 year old Johnny and his large canine friend, has been at Woodland for over 155 years. The stone is still in excellent condition. A number of years ago, a large tree nearby fell during a storm and knocked the head off the dog. It was quite an undertaking but the head was re-attached by then Woodland horticulturist, Jim Sandegren, and the monument was once again, as good as new.

For visitor attraction, perhaps the “Boy & Dog” has caused more tears and aroused more interest than any other at the cemetery. The monument, faithful in detail, shows Johnny’s top and his ball, his mouth harp and his little cap. On the base of the monument is the inscription, “In Slumber Sweet.” The monument stands about five feet high, has the dog, perhaps an Irish setter, watching over his sleeping master and Johnny’s head is gently resting against the body of his pet.

Little Johnny Morehouse lived at the SW corner of East Third and June Streets. The truth concerning the death of Johnny and his pet are not known. Two accounts have been speculated. One account speaks to how Johnny, who was five years old, had fallen into the river and the dog jumped in and saved his little master’s life by pulling him from the river. Walter W. Morehouse, a relative of the little boy, and former Director of the City Water Department, believed that the story was true, at least that he always heard it was true. The second account, whether truth or legend cannot be said, is that the boy was drowning and the dog also perished trying to save him, and that the ball, jacks, toy top and the and the mouth harp that are represented on the stone in granite, supposedly were in the boy’s pockets when he was recovered from the water. Investigators trying to trace the truth of this legend, in spite of their detailed search, have found no evidence to support either account. Friends of the family interviewed during the later 1890s say merely that the monument only symbolizes the deep love between the child and his pet. Johnny Morehouse died on August 14, 1860 at five years of age. He is located in Section 82 Lot 546.

Another story passed down is that the dog, still faithful to his master, would come to the cemetery and lay at the grave site of Johnny. Local artist and sculptor, Daniel La Dow, who is also buried at Woodland was the creator of the beautiful and peaceful monument. Many people who come to visit “The Boy & Dog” bring a gift for both Johnny and his canine friend such as small toys, pennies, candy and even biscuits for the dog.

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Five Ways to Enjoy Art on the Commons

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Rosewood Arts Centre’s premier annual event, Art on the Commons, is almost here! This fine arts and crafts festival has been going strong for 29 years – next year, we celebrate the big 3-0. The festival features over 100 artists in a variety of media. All the artwork is juried to make sure the quality is top notch. Perusing the booths is a great way to spend a Sunday. Here are some of the many fun things to check out at the event, affectionately known around here as AOTC!

1.  All the art

So, 100 artists. As always, it’s a great mix of new folks and returning favorites. This year’s categories are ceramics, digital art, fiber/leather, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture, works on paper and wood.

We mentioned jurying – wondering what that means? Our three jurors, Lisa Goldberg, owner of Lisa Goldberg Ceramics, Mary Gray, Director of the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery, and Pat Higgins, Vice President of the Kettering Arts Council, reviewed all the AOTC submissions and ranked each artist based on design, originality, presentation, audience appeal and eligibility. Come see (and buy) the artwork that stood out from the crowd.

2. The setting

You might have noticed that we’re all about Kettering’s parks. And why wouldn’t we be? Lincoln Park is home toLincoln Park beautiful flowers, Kettering’s iconic fountains, lots of public art, and it features plenty of green spaces, shade trees and benches for resting your feet. Come enjoy the park while it’s bustling with people and full of even more great artwork.

3. Live music

Art on the Commons has featured live music for several years now. This year, we’re changing things up a little to bring you the sweet sounds of the WYSO Excursions Stage with Niki Dakota. Bringing listeners eclectic sounds from around the world and from closer to home, WYSO especially loves to champion local artists and music that embodies the diversity of the Miami Valley. Rosewood Arts Centre and WYSO are delighted to showcase the uniqueness of Art on the Commons and of our local music heroes. The stage will feature Daniel Dye & the Miller Road Band, Shrug, Lioness and The Pullouts. Give it a listen – it’s free!

4. Food trucks

Greek foodThe region is home to some pretty fabulous food trucks. A tasty selection will be at AOTC, so come hungry. Harvest Mobile offers chef-prepared, locally sourced favorites; Sweet P’s Handcrafted Ice Pops will keep you cool in the August heat (we’ve never met a Sweet P’s flavor we didn’t like, by the way); Bella Sorella Pizza is serving up wood-fired deliciousness; and BJ Events has the Greek food we dream about the other 364, non-AOTC days of the year. Seriously, the gyros.

The Fraze Pavilion’s Ernie’s Concessions will also be open for business with festival favorites like hot dogs, nachos and pretzels.

Kids crafts5. Family fun

Families with littles are more than welcome at AOTC. There’s even a selection of free activities just for you! Kids are welcome to make finger puppets, beaded jewelry and an amazing origami Viking ship. The new Kaleidoscope van will make its first trip to AOTC to lead a fun art and nature activity all about the butterfly! The talented Rosewood faculty will also be on hand to show off their skills at fiber arts, jewelry making, painting and drawing.

 

This piece was written by Sara Thomas and originally appeared on www.playkettering.org and is reprinted with permission.