The Featured Articles

Learn about the artists and their projects below, and follow Culture Works on Meta to keep up with opportunities to engage with their work!

2024 ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTEES

AMY DEAL

Opportunity: Participate in a four-week artist’s residency at the South Porch Artist Residency in Summerville, South Carolina, dedicated to creating mono prints showcasing the local flora and marine life. These artworks will serve as the foundation for an exhibition and workshop in August 2024 at the Dayton Society of Artists’ Gallery.

About the Artist: Amy Deal (she/her), an artist based in Dayton, Ohio, cultivates her artistry within a studio setting. Her paintings reflect her upbringing in rural Ohio, revealing a profound understanding that reconnecting with nature allows her to discover renewal and restoration.

Amy finds the act of creating a deeply meditative and rejuvenating process of exploration and discovery. She believes each composition is a new opportunity to dive into the depths of your imagination. Through bold strokes of color and intricate textures, Amy aims to convey not just the visual aspects of nature but also its emotional and energetic qualities.

amydeal.com

NICOLAY DORSETT

Opportunity: Complete a Balanced Body Mat Training program to further develop knowledge of mat work and its benefits for the health and wellness of dance artists.

About the Artist: Originally from Sunrise, Florida, Nicolay Dorsett (she/her) graduated from the University of South Florida in the spring of 2020 with a BA in Health Sciences and a BFA in Modern Dance. She joined Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) as a Dance Artist in August of 2021. With her passion for dance, Nicolay hopes to continue performing and growing in her artistry.

Artist Statement: “I believe dance is the gateway to moving past limitations of the body. Dance helps you discover and master your physical body as well as challenge your creative side as an artist. Knowing your body in that way helps it to last longer, to feel better, and to move with grace.”

https://sites.google.com/view/nicolaydorsett/

GRETCHEN DURST JACOBS

Opportunity: Create a new body of work in the medium of encaustic monotype for an upcoming solo show at The Dana Wiley Gallery in Dayton.

About the Artist: Gretchen Durst Jacobs (she/her) was born in Dayton, Ohio. She holds a BFA in painting from Wright State University and an MFA from The University of Cincinnati. In 2000 and 2001, she attended The New York Studio School Drawing and Painting Marathons. Her work has been the subject of nine solo exhibitions and various group shows. She has shown in Ohio, the US, Japan, Germany, and Canada.

Artist Statement: “I create non-objective paintings informed by the scale of my body; most of my paintings are near my height and reach from fingertip to fingertip. I am fascinated by the expressive qualities of color, movement, rhythm, and space. I work with themes such as the natural world, climate change, and feminist ideas. A limited and carefully considered color palette plays a dominant role, referencing the body, energy, and power. Muscle memory informs my mark-making, aligning my perception and thoughts.

A carefully designed grid is at the heart of each new painting. The grid forms a hard and soft boundary for the work that creates a tension between the geometry of the grid and the interweaving gesture. This pictorial dichotomy references the relational dualism at work in our modern lives and our environment.”

gretchendurstjacobs.com

NIARRA GOODEN-CLARKE

Opportunity: Travel to New York City to take dance classes, attend various company auditions, and work with a photographer to receive updated headshots and body shots.

About the Artist: Niarra Gooden-Clarke (she/her) was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Kent, Ohio, where she completed her studies at Kent State University. Niarra simultaneously completed her senior year and danced with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) as a Jeraldyne Blunden Fellow, graduating in the spring of 2022 with a BA in Dance and a BA in Sociology and being hired as a full company member with DCDC.

Artist Statement: “Every day I work towards the cultivation of my true self as both an individual and an artist. I strive to radiate light and love as I move through spaces, learning, growing, and developing. I am interested in the retelling and retention of African American history through movement and the utilization of the dancing body to express the black experience.”

VALENTINO HALTON

Opportunity: Complete a follow-up international collaboration with producer Martin Dezer of France to develop production techniques, create a record, and work toward the goal of becoming a self-produced artist.

About the Artist: TINO (he/him) is a hip hop artist known for his ability to blend the genre’s golden era, old school sound with modern and alternative elements to create nostalgic yet innovative music. TINO has played hundreds of shows in the region and released seven solo studio albums.

Artist Statement: “As an artist my joy is connecting with people through my work. I have been able to meet so many amazing people and go places I would have never been able to before because of these songs. Kids who grew up where I did don’t often get to go to France, so finding out where the next batch of songs will take me is always exciting and rewarding.”

itstino.com

KATHLEEN HOTMER

Opportunity: Complete online training in natural plant dyeing and eco dyeing in order to develop skills that will broaden her textile offerings and prepare her to offer natural dye and eco dyeing workshops.

About the Artist: Kathleen Hotmer (she/her) is a textile/fiber dye artist and owner of Pink Moon Goods, where she brings a unique inventory of products to the Dayton community that encourage finding beauty in everyday living. Her textile work has expanded in recent years to include dyeing with plants to make everyday reusable items for the home.

Artist Statement: “My goal as an artist is to create home goods that reflect the beauty of the natural world and are safe for humans and the planet. The colors achieved through the synergy of using natural fibers and natural plant matter, while complicated, has helped me to achieve a goal of creating home goods that are simple, safe to use at home, and are an expression of natural beauty. Using plants from my garden or food scraps from my kitchen for the dyeing process has helped me align my artistic goals as a fiber dye artist with that of living sustainably at home and reducing the carbon footprint of the products that I create while adding beauty to the world.”

www.pinkmoongoods.com

MIKEE HUBER

Opportunity: Create a new series of paintings inspired by her connection to the rocky and rugged coast during two weeks at the Golden Apple Art Residency in Harrington, Maine.

About the Artist: Abstract artist Mikee Huber (she/her) uniquely channels influences from built environments, the natural world, and music into visually dynamic realms. With degrees in commercial art and fine arts, she has almost three decades of experience in graphics design supporting the Department of Defense, complemented by a lifelong passion for creating art.

Artist Statement: “I specialize in non-objective and abstract painting, using various media to create unique shapes through the chemical reactions of the mediums. The rhythmic dance with color, balance, and composition is both relaxing and energizing, as I seamlessly lose track of time in the intuitive flow of creation. Inspired by microscopic scientific images, music, and the outdoors, I eagerly anticipate translating the essence of Maine’s rocky coast into my work during the upcoming residency. Join me in November at my solo show to experience the culmination of these inspirations—more information is listed on the event page of my website.”

mikee.huber.com

G. SCOTT JONES

Opportunity: Writing a musical that tells the story of growing up as a preacher’s kid who was confused about their identity and wondered if God loved them.

About the Artist: G. Scott Jones (they/them/he/him) is a multi-instrumental musician who composes and arranges modern American Art music for small and large ensembles.

G. Scott Jones actively performs in jazz ensembles and chamber groups in Southwest Ohio. In recent years, Jones has released an album titled “Walk With Me” and been recorded on the Nasty Nati Brass Band’s self-titled album.

www.gscottjones.com

MIKE LONDON

Opportunity: Use the award-winning epistolary novel, DEAREST, to create an episodic, audio drama podcast with a unique release schedule, diverging from the culture of the “immediate” we live in and instead hearkening back to the post-Civil War era of the 1870s with a mysterious love story that unfolds along the Ohio River.

About the Artist: Ohio playwright, Mike London (he/him), whose work has been presented in the US, UK and Canada, is currently the playwright-in-residence with the Benjamin Franklin House in London, UK. He is the Ohio Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild of America and a 2023 recipient of a Governor’s Award in the Arts in Ohio.

Artist Statement: “A belief that I keep at the center of my work as a playwright is that stories are the textbooks for life. It is where we learn about ourselves. There are two key themes throughout my work: secrets and families.

Secrets are the threads that weave through my stories. What fascinates me is learning the histories and stories that aren’t remembered; the secrets of our society. I love discovering secrets that are often at the core of who we are, what we do, and who have come before us. Uncovering those secrets takes me to the truth of who we are and who we can be.

Families are the context of my stories. Whether it’s the families we know, the ones we don’t, the ones we think we know, or the families we create where none exist—all are the context for where we have come from and what lies ahead.

I have written in other forms; however, I am a playwright. It is my way to tell stories and add to that textbook of life.”

michaelmlondon.com

JESSE LY

Opportunity: Create work for invited FotoFocus concurrent exhibitions at both The Weston Gallery and Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery at Mount St. Joseph University.

About the Artist: Jesse Ly (he/they) is an Asian-American photographic artist. They primarily work interdisciplinarily, focusing on image-based work while incorporating processes of sculpture, bookmaking, and writing to inform and expand imagery.

jessely.com

BRIAN MATHUS

Opportunity: Promote and prepare works for an upcoming solo art gallery exhibition.

About the Artist: Brian Mathus (he/him) is an abstract/figurative painter who resides in Dayton, Ohio. He went to the Pacific NW College of Art and Sinclair Community College. He is also a veteran of the Air National Guard. He paints in acrylic and oil paint.

HYACINTH PAUL

Opportunity: Create 10 new mixed-media fabric sculptures using recycled sarees worn by Indian immigrant women from Dayton to tell their stories, highlight their contributions to Dayton, and exhibit these sculptures at different areas in Dayton and beyond.

About the Artist: Dr. Hyacinth Paul (she/her) is a retired scientist who took up art at the age of 58 and has been creating paintings in oil, acrylics, mixed media, and alcohol inks. She is currently an Ohio Arts Council-funded artist in residence at the Trotwood-Madison School District, works on curating fellow artists’ works, educates the community on the importance of art to mental health and well-being, and volunteers and serves on local boards.

Artist Statement: “My art works allow me to use colors in myriad ways, using oils, acrylics, watercolor, pastels, alcohol inks, mixed media, and, more recently, fabric. I want to find out why colors in my paintings, sculptures, and everyday life evoke feelings of joy within me. I am looking forward to expanding my artistic journey by making a fabric sculpture series called “Udaan (Flight)” using recycled sarees worn by women in Dayton of Indian heritage to tell the stories of their contributions in Dayton.”

www.hyacinthpaulart.com

ANNIE PESCH

Opportunity: Take an online filmmaking workshop from the New York Film Academy to hone the art and craft of directing as it relates to filmmaking.

About the Artist: Annie Pesch (she/her) has performed, directed, and provided dialect coaching and fight choreography for theatrical productions in New York, Chicago, and regionally throughout the country. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and a Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Associate Member.

Artist Statement: “The purpose of theatre is to educate, enlighten, and entertain; these three things are important to me as a performer and director. I like working on productions that are thought-provoking and impactful, as well as exploring new and creative ways of staging plays. It is also important for me to give back to the community and find innovative ways of bringing audiences back to the theatre.”

www.anniepesch.com

DANIELLE RANTE

Opportunity: Create a body of work, “Celestial Pathways,” exploring the mythology of the Milky Way within the ancient mound building cultures of Ohio, which will be exhibited at three Ohio venues.

About the Artist: Danielle Rante’s (she/her) work explores our personal relationships to landscape, communicating a deep sense of contemplation and awe. She has a strong dedication to working on traditional washi papers, creating large scale yet intimate environments.

www.daniellerante.com