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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260822
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTSTAMP:20260603T143537
CREATED:20260603T125731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T130344Z
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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-2/2026-08-22/
LOCATION:The Contemporary Dayton\, 25 W. Fourth St.\, Dayton\, OH\, 45402\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art in the City 2026
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/threads.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260822
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTSTAMP:20260603T143537
CREATED:20260603T135057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T135241Z
UID:10058697-1787356800-1787443199@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-2/2026-08-22/
LOCATION:The Dayton Art Institute\, 456 Belmonte Park N\, Dayton\, OH\, 45405\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art in the City 2026
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/picturingjustice.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260822
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTSTAMP:20260603T143537
CREATED:20260603T135727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T135727Z
UID:10059265-1787356800-1787443199@downtowndayton.org
SUMMARY:Captivating Clay: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection
DESCRIPTION:April 13\, 2024–January 3\, 2027\, Gallery 106 \nToday\, Japanese ceramic artists are building on centuries of tradition and taking the art in dynamic and new directions. They are exploring the potential of clay to create both functional and abstract sculptural forms with an incredible range of surface textures and decoration. The aesthetic sensibilities are varied\, from rough and imperfect to detailed and refined\, but all show a mastery of the craft. \nDrawn from the renowned collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz—including recent gifts from them to the museum—this exhibition presents more than thirty artworks spanning eight decades. Traditionally a craft restricted to men\, in recent years women have become some of the leading voices in the field and several examples are included. \nArtists range from innovative pioneers in the twentieth century\, several designated as Living National Treasures in Japan\, to emerging\, younger artists. Interspersed are examples from the DAI’s collection of historic Japanese ceramics. Across 2\,000 years\, these speak to the long history of the art in the island nation and their continued inspiration for artists today.
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/captivating-clay-contemporary-japanese-ceramics-from-the-horvitz-collection/2026-08-22/
LOCATION:The Dayton Art Institute\, 456 Belmonte Park N\, Dayton\, OH\, 45405\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art in the City 2026
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/captivating.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260822
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTSTAMP:20260603T143537
CREATED:20260603T135940Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T135940Z
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SUMMARY:Exploring Feminism
DESCRIPTION:February 7\, 2026–January 31\, 2027\, Gallery 118 \nFeminism feels like a loaded term that\, when presented to people\, often triggers a gut reaction that it is positive or negative. But what actually is feminism? Presenting feminist artwork from the newly acquired Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection\, this three-part\, rotating exhibition will demystify the origins\, history and commitments of the feminist movement. \nOften discussed in terms of waves\, feminism has signified struggles for a range of causes at varying moments in time. Through Exploring Feminism\, guests may become better acquainted with cycles of protest\, self-expression and community-building for a movement that has continued to change and adapt to include more and different constituents within its umbrella of “feminists.” \nNo bras will be burned (and\, in fact\, never were) for this new exhibition featuring regional\, national and international artists working in all manner of media.
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/exploring-feminism/2026-08-22/
LOCATION:The Dayton Art Institute\, 456 Belmonte Park N\, Dayton\, OH\, 45405\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art in the City 2026
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/exfem.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260822T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260822T190000
DTSTAMP:20260603T143537
CREATED:20260603T144920Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T144920Z
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SUMMARY:The Original Slave Ft. Thomas Lockett and Floyd Miller
DESCRIPTION:August 22 @ 7:00 PM\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFree Admission\n\n\n/\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSeries:\n\n\n\n\nMontgomery County Funk/R&B Series \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGenre:\n\n\n\n\nFunk \n\n\n\n\n\n\nSecond-generation Dayton funk stars The Original Slave formed in Ohio in 1976 around a nucleus of guitarist Mark Hicks\, singer and brass man Floyd Miller\, bassist Mark Adams\, guitarist and singer Danny Webster\, and trumpeter Steve Washington\, the nephew of pioneering Ohio Players trumpeter Ralph “Pee Wee” Middlebrooks. \nEarly on\, Floyd came to a band meeting wearing a t-shirt with the word “Slave” on one side and “Master” on the other. Washington\, whose family had direct ties to Frederick Douglass and the abolitionist movement\, embraced a concept that transformed the term into a message of responsibility and purpose: that everyone carries a responsibility to help make the world a better place. The band’s contribution would be to uplift people through music with healing\, meaning\, and connection. They called their higher-plane sound not simply funk\, but “Fungk” with a “g\,” alluding to a spiritual\, God-inspired element. \nThe Original Slave exploded onto the scene with its 1977 debut single\, “Slide\,” making overnight sensations of guitarist Mark “Drac” Hicks\, who earned his nickname through vocal improvisations on the track\, and bassist “Mr. Mark” Adams. Both were still teenagers\, yet already demonstrating extraordinary musical talent. \nBy the group’s third album\, the ever-evolving collective had added two powerful new voices: vocalist Starleana Young\, just 16 years old at the time\, and Steve Arrington. Arrington began as a percussionist but quickly emerged as one of the defining voices of Slave\, bringing an organic vocal style influenced as much by jazz saxophonist John Coltrane and blues-rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix as by traditional singers. \nToday\, The Original Slave Ft. Thomas Lockett and Floyd Miller continues to celebrate and perform the timeless music that made Slave one of the most influential funk bands to emerge from Dayton’s rich musical legacy. Audiences can expect the classic grooves\, infectious energy\, and enduring hits that helped define an era of funk music while honoring the band’s lasting impact on generations of fans.
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/the-original-slave-ft-thomas-lockett-and-floyd-miller/
LOCATION:Levitt Pavilion Dayton\, 134 S. Main St.\, Dayton\, OH\, 45402
CATEGORIES:Art in the City 2026
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/slave.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260822T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260822T200000
DTSTAMP:20260603T143537
CREATED:20260603T142135Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T142135Z
UID:10059348-1787428800-1787428800@downtowndayton.org
SUMMARY:Birthday Candles
DESCRIPTION:Birthday Candles\n\n\n\nby Noah Haidle\nErnestine Ashworth spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough\, it’s her 18th birthday. Even sooner\, her 41st. Her 70th. Her 101st. Five generations\, an infinity of dreams\, and one cake baked over a century. This sweet\, poignant\, and funny play takes you through the extraordinary moments that make up one woman’s ordinary life. \nBirthday Candles is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French\, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
URL:https://downtowndayton.org/event/birthday-candles/2026-08-22/
LOCATION:Dayton Theatre Guild\, 430 Wayne Avenue\, Dayton\, OH\, 45410\, USA
CATEGORIES:Art in the City 2026
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://downtowndayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/bdaycandles.jpg
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