Meet the Rubi Girls

“They are naughty, raucous, adult fun. They’re colorful, clever and absolutely hilarious. The sense of humor at work behind the jokes, satire and choreography are insanely original.”

-Ron Rollins in a recent blog post
after attending a Rubi Girls show

Sep 05, 2009 | Categories: This Is Dayton | Comments Off

New Art Exhibit to Celebrate Dayton’s Legacy of Creativity

AREA RESIDENTS INVITED TO SUBMIT ORIGINAL WORK BY AUG. 31

A new community arts exhibition, Creative Soul of Dayton, will celebrate the city’s history of innovation and current creative accomplishments. It will be on display on the third floor of the Armory Building, 201 E. Sixth St., on the corner of Sixth Street and Patterson Boulevard in downtown Dayton, from Friday, Oct. 2, through Friday, Nov. 6.

Prior to the exhibit opening, prize juror Eva Buttacavoli will select winning works in a variety of categories. Three artists will be awarded best of show, and each will receive a solo exhibit of his or her work in Link Gallery in the Oregon Arts District, a sponsor of Creative Soul of Dayton, as well as exhibition and professional development consultation from Buttacavoli.

An opening reception for the exhibit will be held during the free monthly downtown arts hop, First Friday, from 5-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, when award winners will be announced. A closing reception will be held from 5-10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, during that month’s First Friday event.

“This project is being designed to display the highest quality of individual artistic achievement in the visual arts. We invite participation from Dayton’s creative individuals and communities to express their own vision,” said Susan Byrnes, director of UD’s ArtStreet and lead exhibit organizer. “The project will incorporate a number of Oregon Arts District venues to provide broad access by artists and audiences.”

Now, to get Creative Soul of Dayton rolling, local artists are encouraged to submit works for inclusion in the exhibit. To qualify, artists must be 18 or older and reside within a 25-mile radius of the city of Dayton. All work must have been created within the past five years, and each artist may submit up to two original works in any medium. The deadline to submit works is Monday, Aug. 31, and there is a $10 entry fee. Details and an entry form are available at www.creativesouldayton.com.

“Our goal is for Creative Soul of Dayton to include a wide variety of works representing the many talented artists, including students, in our community,” Byrnes said. “We hope all Daytonians with an artistic spirit will participate.”

Creative Soul of Dayton also will include artist talks and other fun, educational activities throughout the month, with details available closer to the exhibit opening. A group of faculty, staff and students from the University of Dayton, Wright State University, Central State University and Sinclair Community College ― along with local artists, gallery owners and community members ― are organizing the exhibition.

Creative Soul of Dayton was inspired by the DaytonCREATE effort that began in March 2008, when “creative class” economist Richard Florida and his Creative Communities Leadership Project came to Dayton. DaytonCREATE includes five initiatives. One of them, This is Dayton, is aimed at building civic pride, and Creative Soul of Dayton is part of this initiative. For more on DaytonCREATE, see www.daytoncreate.org.

Eva Buttacavoli is an independent curator and art educator who recently moved to Dayton. Previously, she was the director of exhibitions and education at the Austin Museum of Art, where she was recognized for creating art experiences that connect to everyday life and curated numerous exhibitions. Buttacavoli also has served as director of education at the Miami Art Museum and Florida International University’s Frost Art Museum in Miami. She was awarded museum educator of the year in both Texas (2006) and Florida (1999).

Creative Soul of Dayton is sponsored by DaytonCREATE, the law firm of Gottschlich & Portune LLP, Link Gallery, and ServiceMaster On The Spot Commercial and Residential Cleaning. It also is supported in part by a University of Dayton President’s Diversity and Inclusion Grant.

For more information, contact:
Susan Byrnes, 937-229-5103 or susan.byrnes@notes.udayton.edu

Jul 28, 2009 | Categories: This Is Dayton | Comments Off

What We’re Doing And How You Can Help

This is Dayton’s first really big project is about to get under way and we could use some help. Not the heavy lifting kind but the few hours over the next couple of months kind.

One of our “mandates” is to address issues of tolerance within the region. One way we will do this (and at the same time let people know who’s here) is to feature different groups and organizations. These groups will be teamed with a creative and a photographer to find out how they can best be represented graphically. These representations will then be placed on billboards and, possibly, posters throughout the community.

Among our first group of 25 to be featured are scientists from the base, people with tattoos, church choirs, Xfesters, gay men, Harley Riders, etc.

Here’s where the we need help part comes in – if you or anyone you know is involved in any of the following, would you, could you help us find a group or groups of people willing to participate in defining an image and posing? We are looking for some type of leadership to get these people together. So, here’s the benefit to you – a chance to get involved, a chance to be on a billboard, and chance to formalize relationships between like-minded people.

(Some of) the first featured groups:
Cancer survivors
People who use facebook
Nascar fans
The tattooed

There are more and if you are interested, I’ll email all to you. Also, if you have an idea for a group to be featured, by all means let us know.

Thank you for your time and support.

Bridget
bridgetoaks@yahoo.com

or contact Theresa Gasper at Suite1@aol.com

Jan 05, 2009 | Categories: This Is Dayton | 2 Comments »

This Is Dayton Facebook

New facebook group is 175 members and growing strong!

Get in on the conversation!

Dec 05, 2008 | Categories: This Is Dayton | Comments Off

Susan Byrnes explains why she chose Dayton

“I chose to move to Dayton a few years ago- above New York City- because I found a different environment here- a place where I could know all of these people around the table, a place where I could meet the Governor. This would not be happening to me in New York City.”

Byrnes continued: “The size of the community, the nature of the arts in the community, and the fact that we have all of these innovative people here who want to talk to each other, who want to be in an intellectually stimulating community that crosses the boundaries between technology, science, and the arts. That is really the power of DaytonCREATE.”

Oct 17, 2008 | Categories: This Is Dayton | 1 Comment »

This Is Dayton Ambassador Meeting

If you are interested in being an ambassador for This Is Dayton, and are available at lunch time on Wednesday, August 27, let’s do lunch!

• Time: 11:30 AM – 1
• Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008
• Place: Sinclair Community College Cafeteria, Meeting Room 7006A

This is in the basement of Building 7, off the corridor near the computer work tables.

First, come to 7006A and I will give you a voucher for lunch. Then pick out what you want to eat in the cafeteria & return to 7006A to meet.

Diane & I will start the informational part of the meeting after everyone settles in with lunch (between 11:45 & 12:00 noon). If you park in the building 12 lot (4th Street, under building 12), I will have parking passes to get you out. If you get lost at Sinclair, please phone my secretary at 512-2881.

AGENDA:

• Introductions
• Introduction to THIS is DAYTON & what we have done thus far
• Role of Ambassadors
• Questions

Hope to see you on the 27th!

Sally

Aug 17, 2008 | Categories: This Is Dayton | Comments Off

This Is Dayton Poster Committee Meeting

You are invited to a This is Dayton Poster Contest Committee meeting this Tuesday evening at 6:30pm at the Dublin Pub (downtown) to discuss our plan of action for the Poster Contest.

Jen Straight (co-chair of this committee) and Andrea Siefring (Chair) have worked up a list of questions to push toward Theresa Gasper, which Jen will be doing, and we’re hoping to have most of those questions addressed prior to that meeting so we can move forward at full speed on Tuesday.

We would love to see you at that meeting and need YOUR help, and think YOU would be a great fit for this committee. We are going to have fun, and we will get rolling immediately, so please come and help us!

Aug 13, 2008 | Categories: This Is Dayton | 1 Comment »

This Is Dayton Poster Contest/You Tube Contest Committee Meeting

If you are interested in participating in either of two newly formed committees – Poster Contest – General Public (K thru 12 is a separate committee) or YouTube/Video contests – please plan to attend a meeting Tuesday, August 12th at 5:30 PM at the Trolley Stop on Fifth Street in the Oregon District. Weather permitting, we plan to get a table outside on the patio (you have to walk into the bar to gain access to the patio). If the weather is too hot or too wet, we’ll aim for a table at the front in the raised area by the juke box.

Please email Suite1@aol.com if you plan to attend so we know how large a table to reserve. Please use the same email if you would like to be involved, but are unable to attend.

Hope to see you Tuesday!

Theresa Gasper

Aug 08, 2008 | Categories: This Is Dayton | 1 Comment »