BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Downtown Dayton Partnership - ECPv6.8.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://downtowndayton.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Downtown Dayton Partnership
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260704
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTSTAMP:20260604T030502
CREATED:20260506T115918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T125916Z
UID:10056031-1783123200-1783209599@downtowndayton.org
SUMMARY:Threads of History: Quilts by Carolyn Mazloomi
DESCRIPTION:June 12-September 12\, 2026 \nThreads of History: Quilts by Carolyn Mazloomi is a landmark solo exhibition by award-winning artist\, historian\, and curator Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. Now an octogenarian\, Mazloomi remains one of the most visionary leaders in contemporary quilting\, widely recognized for her lifelong efforts to elevate African American quilt traditions. Her striking black-and-white quilts memorialize the lives and legacies of African American freedom fighters\, capturing resilience\, resistance\, and remembrance through bold imagery and layered narrative. Originally trained as an aerospace engineer\, Mazloomi shifted her focus in the 1980s to advocate for African American quilt artists whose contributions had long been marginalized. Through her scholarship\, mentorship\, and the founding of the Women of Color Quilters Network\, she has transformed the cultural landscape\, bringing international recognition to quilting as both fine art and historical record. Her extraordinary impact has been recognized with numerous honors\, including the Bess Lomax Hawes NEA National Heritage Fellowship\, a United States Artists Fellowship\, and an American Craft Council Honorary Fellowship. Her work is held in major collections\, including the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folk Art Museum. Opening Reception: June 12\, 2026\, 6-8 p.m.
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/threads-of-history-quilts-by-carolyn-mazloomi/2026-07-04/
LOCATION:The Contemporary Dayton\, 25 W. Fourth St.\, Dayton\, OH\, 45402\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/threads.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260704
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTSTAMP:20260604T030502
CREATED:20260603T134949Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T135334Z
UID:10058376-1783123200-1783209599@downtowndayton.org
SUMMARY:Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice
DESCRIPTION:June 27–September 13\, 2026\, Gallery 120 \nWilliam H. Johnson (1901–1970) painted the Fighters for Freedom series in the mid-1940s as tribute to African American activists\, scientists\, teachers and performers as well as international leaders working to bring peace to the world. It was his last body of work. This landmark exhibition brings together—for the first time since 1946—34 paintings featured in the series\, drawn from the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). This nationally traveling exhibition is accompanied by a scholarly\, full-color exhibition catalog. \nOf the series\, SAAM states: “The exhibition illuminates the extraordinary life and contributions of Johnson\, an artist associated with the Harlem Renaissance but whose practice spanned several continents\, as well as the contributions of historical figures he depicted. Some of his Fighters—Marian Anderson\, George Washington Carver\, Mohandas Gandhi\, and Harriet Tubman—are familiar figures; others—Nannie Helen Burroughs and William Grant Still\, among them—are less well-known individuals whose achievements have been eclipsed over time. Johnson celebrates their accomplishments even as he acknowledges the realities of racism\, oppression and sometimes violence they faced and overcame. Johnson clues viewers to significant episodes in the Fighters lives by punctuating each portrait with tiny buildings\, flags and vignettes that give insight into their stories. Using a colorful palette to create evocative scenes and craft important narratives\, he suggests that the pursuit of freedom is an ongoing\, interconnected struggle\, with moments of both triumph and tragedy.”
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/fighters-for-freedom-william-h-johnson-picturing-justice/2026-07-04/
LOCATION:The Dayton Art Institute\, 456 Belmonte Park N\, Dayton\, OH\, 45405\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/picturingjustice.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260704
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTSTAMP:20260604T030502
CREATED:20260603T141146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T141146Z
UID:10059304-1783123200-1783209599@downtowndayton.org
SUMMARY:Niki Johnson: Pillars of Democracy
DESCRIPTION:The Contemporary Dayton is proud to present Niki Johnson: Pillars of Democracy\, a series of four large-scale collaged portraits envisioning Liberty\, Justice\, Freedom\, and Forward as first-time voters from Milwaukee. Set across Wisconsin landscapes at dawn\, midday\, dusk\, and night\, the works reflect how democratic values are lived\, protected\, and renewed at the local level. \nConstructed from discarded stencil paper and leftover spray paint collected during the 2020 installation of Shepard Fairey’s Voting Rights Are Human Rights mural\, the series bridges more than a century of voting rights activism through both material and design. Inspired in part by Bertha Boyd’s 1911 suffrage poster Votes for Women\, the works foreground the central role of women in democracy\, from early suffragists to first-time voters today\, uniting generations through civic participation and creative resistance. \nBuilt collaboratively over ten months with the support of Milwaukee artists and community volunteers\, Pillars of Democracy reminds us that democracy is not abstract\, but rather something we actively build\, sustain\, and strengthen through everyday acts of participation\, dialogue\, and collective care. \nPresented during The Contemporary Dayton’s 35th anniversary season\, the exhibition reflects our ongoing commitment to freedom of expression and to creating space for artistic inquiry\, civic engagement\, and public dialogue. \nJohnson is a Milwaukee-based artist\, curator\, and Executive Director of the Forward Art Initiative. She earned her BFA from the University of Memphis and her MA/MFA in Studio Art from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her work is included in the collection of the Dayton Art Institute and has been reviewed in publications including The New York Times\, The Guardian\, Hyperallergic\, and Vice Magazine. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nOPENING NIGHT / Wednesday\, July 1\nMember & Sponsor Preview: 5-6 pm \nPublic Reception: 6-8 pm \nArtist Talk: 6:30 pm
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/niki-johnson-pillars-of-democracy/2026-07-04/
LOCATION:The Contemporary Dayton\, 25 W. Fourth St.\, Dayton\, OH\, 45402\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/johnson.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260704T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260704T160000
DTSTAMP:20260604T030502
CREATED:20260120T142703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T131547Z
UID:10054103-1783162800-1783180800@downtowndayton.org
SUMMARY:Open House at the Front Street Studios
DESCRIPTION:Let the Front Street Studios be your one-stop-shopping location for art\, crafts\, photography\, vintage retail and so much more. Front Street has 150 studios/stores in 3 different historic buildings. Not only do we have an open-house every first Friday of the month\, but we are also open every Saturday from 11AM to 4PM.
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/open-house-at-the-front-street-studios-2/2026-07-04/
LOCATION:Front Street Galleries\, 1001 E. Second St.\, Dayton\, OH\, 45402
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/frontstreet2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260704T190500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260704T190500
DTSTAMP:20260604T030502
CREATED:20260227T141402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T141402Z
UID:10054890-1783191900-1783191900@downtowndayton.org
SUMMARY:Dayton Dragons vs. Lansing Lugnuts
DESCRIPTION:Catch one of the hottest tickets in sports – see the Dayton Dragons play baseball at Day Air Ballpark! For tickets and more information\, visit www.daytondragons.com or call 228-2287.
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/dayton-dragons-vs-lansing-lugnuts/2026-07-04/
LOCATION:Day Air Ballpark\, 220 North Patterson Blvd.\, Dayton\, OH\, 45402
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/dragons16x9.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR