Art Is Everywhere in New Juried Show, Kickoff Celebration
Art in the City features downtown Dayton businesses and the region’s best artists
For more information: Val Beerbower, 937-224-1518 ext. 230
May 19, 2016, DAYTON, Ohio — Downtown Dayton is celebrating its vibrant visual arts community with a new juried art exhibition and special kick-off event. Pop-up galleries featuring local artists can be found in downtown businesses. The public is invited to check out the installations and vote for their favorite works of art starting on Friday, June 3, with a huge visual arts celebration. Art in the City, sponsored by Dayton.com, is the next signature event in the DP&L Summer in the City lineup and takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Visitors can see live demonstrations, participate in hands-on activities, and enjoy other elements of downtown’s rich visual arts community.
“Cultural amenities like our art galleries and creative spaces are some of the big reasons more and more people are choosing to live, work, and play downtown,” said Downtown Dayton Partnership President Sandra Gudorf. “We’re proud to put our best visual arts assets front-and-center for this event.” K12 Gallery and TEJAS, the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors, Spire Arts, and many more downtown arts organizations will be part of the kickoff event on June 3. The Dayton Visual Arts Center Artists organized the juried show and pop-up galleries. Those artists also will be on hand at the locations of their pop-up galleries on Friday, June 3, as part of the Art in the City event.
Voting opens on Friday, June 3, and ends at noon on Friday, June 17. At that time, the final votes will be tallied and the artist with the most votes will win a $250 cash prize. “We want people to experience great local art and local businesses,” Gudorf said. “We hope people coming to explore the art will discover a new favorite shop or restaurant, and we hope regular patrons of these downtown businesses will encounter local art and recognize the amazing talent we have here in Dayton. There’s a lot of synergy around placing the artwork inside these businesses.”
It’s fitting this event takes place on a First Friday, downtown’s monthly business feature and art hop. Downtown galleries typically host openings on First Fridays, and for the Art in the City kickoff event on June 3, the fun gets better with live demos, hands-on activities, and other interactive programs. Maps with pop-up gallery locations will be available online and distributed to participating locations as well as downtown businesses and the DDP office.
After visiting pop-up galleries and enjoying visual arts programs, visitors are encouraged to stick around and take in other downtown events happening that evening, such as Pickin’ in the Park at RiverScape MetroPark, or Affair on the Square that starts Dayton Pride weekend on Courthouse Square. Look up information about local dining, shopping, and entertainment options right from a smartphone at mobile.downtowndayton.org to plan the rest of the evening.
DP&L Summer in the City, sponsored by Dayton Power & Light, Dayton.com, Vectren, Sinclair College, Heidelberg Distributing, Bud Light, Miller-Valentine Group, the Downtown Priority Board, and the Ohio Arts Council, features programming from the DDP and community partners, including:
· Festivals: Downtown is home to many fantastic community festivals, including the Dayton Celtic Festival, the City of Dayton summer concert series, and recent newcomers like AleFest, and Big Brews and Blues.
· Visual and performing arts: Gallery openings, musicals, paint-and-sip programs, concerts, docent-led tours, collaborative public art, dance performances, summer camps and more from the region’s best arts groups await downtown workers, residents and visitors.
· Food, beer, fun: Downtown Dayton is home to some of the best local, independent restaurants, and offers a concentration of craft breweries, tap rooms and distilled spirits. Watch for special tappings, tastings, pre fixe courses, collaborative events and more activities intended to give patrons a true taste of Dayton.
· Shops and services: From haberdasheries to vintage thrift stores to sewing classes to upscale salons, downtown Dayton offers plenty of places to shop and get pampered. Special events, such as trunk sales, fashion shows or grooming programs, frequent the online calendar.
· Live music: Dayton’s local music scene really shines when bands take the stage in downtown Dayton. Country, rock, blues, pop, punk, metal, funk, jazz – it’s all happening downtown.
· Active living: Besides exploring the city by foot or bike (including the Link Bike Share program), downtown boasts an assortment of health and fitness-related events.
· Signature events from the Downtown Dayton Partnership and its partners:
o First Fridays: This monthly art hop builds on its growing popularity as a way to sample downtown businesses. First Fridays will continue through the summer and fall.
o The Square Is Where: This free lunchtime entertainment takes place weekdays on Courthouse Square, and includes trivia, live music, giant outdoor games, and food vendors.
o DP&L Summer in the City Events: In addition to Art in the City (June 3), future signature events include Downtown Adventure Night, featuring the Great Dayton Adventure Race (August 5), and the Performing Arts Street Party (Sept. 16). Details for the rest of the 2016 events will be released soon.
The best way to ensure not to miss a single minute of downtown action is to subscribe to the DDP’s
e-vents email newsletter. Visit http://bit.ly/ddpsubscribe to sign up.
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