Urban Nights

Part of Dayton’s twice-a-year street party, Urban Nights, DVAC stays open until 10 p.m. with special events in the gallery.

Upcoming Urban Nights:
September 16, 2011

DECAVAC

DVAC collaborates with Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) to provide the seventh-grade students from this unique charter school a rich, multi-layered art experience, during four 90-minute visits to the gallery. Activities will assist in fulfillment of the State of Ohio Fine Arts Academic Content Standards and help students to complete the “Gateways” criteria required for graduation. Exhibiting artists and staff will discuss concept and craft behind the work, and students will try their hand at a related art project, as well as write about their experiences.

Artist on Art

The Dayton Visual Arts Center is documenting the accomplishments of accomplished artists in Greater Dayton's visual arts community, with a particular emphasis on our elders. Artists on Art, an oral history project begun in 2003 by The Artists Organization in Columbus, Ohio, is intended to become a comprehensive source of specific information about Ohio artists.

With this project, The Ohio Historical Society will enlarge its existing collection of art-related materials by archiving both the site and associated materials. Artists who have been documented by DVAC include: Willis "Bing" Davis, Jud Yalkut and Ray Must. Scheduled for spring 2009 are Aka Pereyma and Homer Hacker.

Many thanks to our production partner, ThinkTV PBS Channel 14-16, and to those who have contributed designated funds for this project: The Mary Mikesell Foundation, Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, The Iddings Foundation and The Hobart Foundation

AleArt @ AleFest

For the past three years, artists have had a fun opportunity to create original beer-themed designs that were etched on pint glasses and hand-printed on T shirts. Each unique item was raffled at the AleFest, raising funds for DVAC's operations and combining the worlds of fine art and fine craft ale.

Steamroller Printing: Flat-Out Fun

DVAC and Victoria Theatre Association launched a new event on May 14, 2010, Steamroller Printmaking: Flat-Out Fun, during Spring 2010 “Urban Nights.” The state’s first large public steamroller printing project was held on the roof of the Arts Garage, located on the northwest corner of Second and Ludlow streets in downtown Dayton. Flat-Out Fun was sponsored by Freund, Freeze & Arnold, a Legal Profession Association, the Ohio Arts Council and Houser Asphalt & Concrete.

Branching Out

A collaboration with Five Rivers MetroParks’/Wegerzyn Foundation. It was conceived as an extension of the work to be created at Wegerzyn Garden MetroPark by internationally renowned visiting artist Patrick Dougherty. This project, coordinated by Pam Houk, brings together four local artists who will create outdoor, site-specific installations of natural and/or recycled materials and one artist who will conduct drawing classes at the site of Dougherty’s installation.  The artists are Willis “Bing” Davis, Leesa Haapapuro, Thomas Macaulay, Michael Bashaw and David Leach. It is funded in part by Montgomery County.