Downtown Dayton Partnership

Learn to Ice Skate! Teen/Adult Course
2026-02-15 12:20 - 12:50 (America/New_York) | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Learn to Ice Skate! Teen/Adult Course
12:20pm – 12:50pm
AGE: 14 and up | $50.00 | Financial Assistance
Want to learn the basics of ice skating? We’ve got you covered with these lessons! Our instructor will teach you key skills including skating forward and backward edges on a circle, three-turns, backward stops, bunny hops, lunges, and front and back crossovers. The registration fee includes use of skates and lessons on 2/1, 2/8, and 2/15, which we ask that you arrive 15 minutes early for each day. Makeup lessons will be held 2/22. Weather Dependent.

A Private Life
2026-02-15 12:15, 2026-02-14 19:20, 2026-02-14 14:20 | THE NEON, United States
Overview
Following the death of Paula, one of her long-time patients, psychiatrist Lilian Steiner becomes convinced that her supposed death by suicide is actually an unsolved murder.
Director
Rebecca Zlotowski
Producer
Frédéric Jouve
Cast
Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira

Jimpa
2026-02-15 12:00, 2026-02-14 19:30, 2026-02-14 17:00, 2026-02-14 14:30, 2026-02-14 12:00 | THE NEON, United States
Overview
“As she works on a film about her family, a filmmaker (Olivia Colman) is forced to reckon when her teenager (Aud Mason-Hyde) declares they want to move abroad to live with their gay granfather “Jimpa” (John Lithgow).”
THE WRAP writes, “Incisive and compassionate… earns every emotion and then some, breaking the heart open with such breathtaking truthfulness that you get bowled over just before you land softly in its final frames.”
We’re delighted to bring this new, lovely film from filmmaker Sophie Hyde (director of GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE) – opening Feb. 13.
Director
Sophie Hyde
Producer
Sophie Hyde, Marleen Slot, Liam Heyen, Bryan Mason
Cast
Olivia Colman, John Lithgow, Aud Mason-Hyde

Learn to Ice Skate! Youth Course
2026-02-15 11:40 - 12:10 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Learn to Ice Skate! Youth Course
11:40am – 12:10pm
AGE: 9-13 | $50.00 | Financial Assistance
Want to learn the basics of ice skating? We’ve got you covered with these lessons! Our instructor will teach you key skills including skating forward and backward edges on a circle, three-turns, backward stops, bunny hops, lunges, and front and back crossovers. The registration fee includes use of skates and lessons on 2/1, 2/8, and 2/15, which we ask that you arrive 15 minutes early for each day. Makeup lessons will be held 2/22. Weather Dependent.

Learn to Ice Skate! Children’s Course
2026-02-15 11:00 - 11:30 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Learn to Ice Skate! Children’s Course
11:00am – 11:30am
AGE: 5-8 | $50.00 | Financial Assistance
Want to learn the basics of ice skating? We’ve got you covered with these lessons! Our instructor will teach you key skills including skating forward and backward edges on a circle, three-turns, backward stops, bunny hops, lunges, and front and back crossovers. The registration fee includes use of skates and lessons on 2/1, 2/8, and 2/15, which we ask that you arrive 15 minutes early for each day. Makeup lessons will be held 2/22. Weather Dependent.

RESILIENCE
2026-02-15, 2026-02-14 | Edward A. Dixon Gallery, 222 N. St. Clair St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Resilience opens at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery on February 5th featuring several local artists ranging from a University Student to 30 year career artists. This exhibition is the gallery’s response to Black History month and features images that are powerful, regal and positive. Please, mark your calendars for the Opening Reception on Thursday, February 5th from 5pm-8pm. The exhibition dates are February 5th through March 15th.

Ice Skating
2026-02-15, 2026-02-14 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Sheltered under the covered pavilion, the MetroParks Ice Rink sets the scene as a perfect winter wonderland in downtown Dayton. While the rink is open, you can enjoy delicious treats from the concession area, including a cup of hot chocolate. Take advantage of fun skating activities, such as lessons, themed skating nights and more. Visit metroparks.org/ice-rink to learn more, find daily open hours, and see a schedule of events. Admission: $7 daily, ice skate rental: $3 daily. Season passes available. Ages 3 and under are free with a paying adult. 278-2607.

Polar Bear Express
2026-02-15 | Downtown Dayton
Book a ride on the abominably decorated Pedal Wagon for a 2-hour pedaling adventure through the fest streets of Dayton and to the best bars and restaurants. Reservations required. pedalwagon.com/dayton

Vinyl Vinyl Sundays
2026-02-15 | The Barrel House, 417 E. Third St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Sunday – Vinyl Vinyl Sunday – bring your records, we’ll play ’em

Valentine’s Bae Beer & Cookie Pairing
2026-02-14 19:00 - 23:00 | The Barrel House, 417 E. Third St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Join us for an evening of gastronomical glory as we play matchmaker with Bae’s Bakery cookies and hand selected craft beer. Cooley’s on the 1’s and 2’s spinning slow jams to get the mood just right.
Probably a Valentine’s themed Malört infusion as well. Nothing says “I love you” like liquid regret
Pre-order your pairing flight: https://checkout.square.site/…/ELGQQN4RMOQLF5UA2TXLVXZY…

Couples Valentine’s Day Jewelry Making Workshop
2026-02-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Dayton Society of Artists, 48 High Street, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Couples Valentine’s Day Jewelry Making Workshop
Join the Dayton Society of Artists for a special Valentine’s Day workshop led by Francis Trick, designed for couples looking to create something meaningful together.
In this hands-on, two-hour workshop, couples will learn basic jewelry-making techniques and will each create either a necklace or a pair of earrings to take home at the end of the class. No prior experience is necessary—this workshop is beginner-friendly and focused on creativity, collaboration, and fun.
Light hors d’oeuvres will be provided by Amber Rose, making this a relaxed and festive evening to celebrate Valentine’s Day through art.
When:
Saturday, February 14, 2026
6:00–8:00 PM
Where:
The Dayton Society of Artists
48 High Street
Dayton, OH 45403
Cost:
$70 per couple (DSA Members)
$100 per couple (Non-Members)
Capacity:
7 couples (14 people total)
Workshop Instructor:
Francis Trick
Parking:
Free street parking available and a public parking lot located across the street.

Date Night Terrarium Workshop
2026-02-14 17:00 - 18:30 | Now and Zen DIY Studio, 121 E. Third St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Hot Date, Cool Plants – Valentine’s Date Night Workshop – Skip the crowded restaurants and celebrate Valentine’s Day with a creative, hands-on experience. In Hot Date, Cool Plants, couples will build two medium-sized terrariums side-by-side, choosing from a curated selection of plants, stones, and natural embellishments to create living keepsakes that last long after the evening ends. Our friendly studio assistants are on hand throughout the workshop to offer guidance, design tips, and plant-care support—no green thumb required.

Mary Jane
2026-02-14 17:00 | Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Avenue, Dayton, OH, 45410, USA
As her young son battles chronic illness, Mary Jane holds chaos at bay with stubborn hope, quiet strength, and a shared fragile faith. The devoted mother leans on an unexpected community of women and discovers that even in the darkest nights, the stars are still there to guide her home.
Mary Jane is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Runtime: 90 minutes (No Intermission)

Living Legacy: The Permanent Collection of The Dayton Society of Artists
2026-02-14 12:00 - 17:00 | Dayton Society of Artists, 48 High Street, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Founded in 1938, the Dayton Society of Artists (DSA) has been a vital part of the Miami Valley’s cultural landscape for more than eight decades, dedicated to connecting, supporting, and educating artists and the community. The DSA Permanent Collection reflects this enduring legacy, preserving works by past and present members whose practices span generations, media, and artistic approaches. Featuring artists such as Edward Burroughs, Rosalie Lowery, Jane Reese, Gerald Jerry Page, Siegfried Weng, and Robert Koepnick, this exhibition offers a glimpse into the creative voices that have shaped the organization over time. Together, these works function not only as individual expressions, but as a living record of the Dayton Society of Artists’ ongoing commitment to artistic excellence, experimentation, and community engagement.

Sweetheart Special
2026-02-14 11:00 - 22:00 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Sweetheart Special
11:00am – 10:00pm
AGE: All ages | $25.00 | Financial Assistance
Listen to some classic love songs while you skate with your sweetie at the MetroParks Ice Rink! When you purchase the Sweetheart Skate Special, you’ll receive two rink admissions with skate rental, two cups of hot cocoa, and a box of Winans Chocolates for only $25. The Sweetheart Skate Deal will be offered Sat. February 14 from 11AM-10PM, and Sun. February 15 from 1-5PM. While supplies last. Weather Dependent.

Exhibition: In Small Measure
2026-02-14 11:00 - 18:00 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
The Contemporary Dayton is proud to announce In Small Measure, its new fundraising exhibition and sale taking place February 13–14, 2026.
This creative initiative invites artists from across the region and beyond to donate original, postcard-sized artworks—each measuring 4 x 6 inches—to support The Contemporary Dayton’s mission to advance equity, diversity, and access through the presentation of contemporary art and ideas.
Each artwork will be sold anonymously for $100, directly supporting The Contemporary Dayton’s exhibitions and programs.

Saturday Art Workshops
2026-02-14 11:00 - 13:00 | K12 Gallery & TEJAS, 341 S. Jefferson St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Saturday Art Workshops for Kindergarten-12th Grade and Adults. Each month explore a different art medium (Clay, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Mosaics, Drawing, Photography, in a different theme/artistic style (K-12th grade). For Adults classes in Mosaics, Stained Glass, and Glassblowing. Saturday Classes run from September 2025-May 2026. 11:00am-1:00pm. Call for Costs.

Photowalk
2026-02-14 10:00 - 12:00 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Explore downtown Dayton through your lens, using anything from a camera phone to a box camera, and anything in between. Join fellow artists and photography enthusiasts for a guided walk inspired by the visual language of The Contemporary Dayton’s latest exhibitions. FREE and open to all.

Photowalk
2026-02-14 10:00 - 11:00 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Explore downtown Dayton through your lens, using anything from a camera phone to a box camera, and anything in between. Join fellow artists and photography enthusiasts for a guided walk inspired by the visual language of Xaviera Simmons: Figure Eleven. FREE and open to all.

Gretchen Durst Jacobs: What the Body Carries
2026-02-14 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Gretchen Durst Jacobs: What the Body Carries
February 4 – 28, 2026
Opening Reception: February 4, 6 – 8 pm
Closing Reception: February 28, 4 – 6 pm

Gretchen Durst Jacobs: What the Body Carries features new work from the Dayton-based artist. These encaustic monotypes, which merge painting with printmaking, emanate from the body, using gesture, scale, and repetition to explore how experience is physically and emotionally carried. Her abstract compositions balance intuition and structure, with grids often acting as quiet frameworks that hold movement, memory, and sensation in tension. Each encaustic monotype, created through a process that uses hot wax and pigment transferred onto a surface, is unique, and invites viewers to contemplate how feeling takes shape through mark, color, and rhythm.
Artist Statement
My paintings and prints begin with the body. Rooted in somatic experience and attentive to the inner life, the work explores how feeling is carried, processed, and transformed through physical gesture. I often work at a scale that matches my full reach—fingertip to fingertip—so each mark records movement, presence, and intuition. At times a grid enters the work as a quiet stabilizing force, allowing chaos, memory, and motion to coexist within a shared structure.
Although abstract, the work is grounded in more than twenty-five years of painting from direct observation. What has long drawn me to the landscape is how closely it mirrors human experience—its resilience and adaptation, its tenderness, and its moments of tension. Through color, gesture, and layered marks, I move through lived experience as a continuum, allowing feeling to take shape. Each work is an attempt to reconcile emotion with form, to honor what we carry, and to give shape to what cannot always be spoken.
All artworks in this exhibition are available for purchase. Please visit the reception desk or speak to a Staff member to purchase. Proceeds support both the artist and The Contemporary Dayton’s mission to connect artists and audiences through accessible, engaging contemporary art experiences.

About the Artist

Gretchen Durst Jacobs creates abstract paintings and prints, often utilizing a grid and bold, gestural marks to explore our relationship with the self and the natural world. She received her MFA from the University of Cincinnati in 2008 and her BFA from Wright State University in 2000. She attended the New York Studio School for Drawing and Painting Marathons and Summer Sessions in 2000 and 2003. In 2024, she received the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District Individual Artist Grant.
Her work has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States and Internationally. Regional exhibitions include the Dayton Museum of Art; Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH; Dana L. Wiley Gallery, Dayton, OH; University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH; the Morgan Conservatory, Cleveland, OH; and Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH. Her international exhibitions include the Lambton Heritage Museum, Ontario, Canada; Alten Feuerwache Loschwitz and Grafikwerkstatt, Dresden, Germany; and the Dayton/Kyoto Print Exchange, Kyoto, Japan. She has permanent public art installations on view at the Dayton Metro Library and the Kettering Government Center.
She is represented by the Dana L. Wiley Gallery. Durst Jacobs works full time in her studio in Dayton, Ohio, and also maintains a studio in Ontario, Canada. Since 2017, she has served as the President of the Dayton Printmakers Cooperative.

Temporary Exhibit: Ordinary Lives
2026-02-14 | The International Peace Museum, 10 N. Ludlow St., Dayton, OH, 45402
“Ordinary Lives imagines Palestinian existence as an unbroken continuum—a lineage of care, memory, and everyday beauty that stretches from ancient ritual to the present moment. Across the gallery, Mona Gazala’s photographic works and George Harb’s intimate family archive come together to affirm that Palestinian life is shaped not solely by survival, but by an enduring inheritance of joy, dignity, and deep interior worlds.

In Gazala’s images, ancestral echoes surface through gestures and objects that bridge archaeology and lived experience. Portraits that invoke ancient forms of veneration and photographs that draw on the quiet symbolism of archaeological fragments work in concert to honor the overlooked, the ordinary, and the deeply rooted. Whether reimagining the visual language of early ancestral practices or elevating humble shards as vessels of story, these works collectively underscore a truth that stretches across millennia: what persists is reverence—reverence for family, land, and the accumulated layers of Palestinian life.

These themes resonate through the collage of George Harb’s archival videos and photographs spanning the diaspora, Ramallah, Jerusalem, and greater Palestine. His extensive family documentation—childhood scenes, celebrations, rites of passage, and landscapes of home—reveals generations living with tenderness, intuition, and grounded connection. It offers a glimpse of Palestinian joy and interiority, sustained independently of external forces and carried forward despite trauma.

Together, Gazala’s contemporary works and Harb’s historical archive form a unified narrative of continuity: a testament to the ancient and ongoing pulse of Palestinian life. Their stories—rooted in ritual, memory, everyday gestures, and deep familial ties—assert that Palestinian presence has never been broken.”

Sandra Aska, Andy Holliday, & Paul Rienzo Exhibits
2026-02-14 | Galleries at Sinclair College, 444 W. Third St., Bldg. 13, Dayton, OH, 45402
The Sinclair Community College Art Department is pleased to present works by Sandra Aska, Andy Holliday, and Paul Rienzo in the Burnell R. Roberts Triangle Gallery and Works on Paper Gallery. Capturing moments of perplexity, quirkiness, thoughtfulness, and beauty, Aska gives clay life through her figurative sculptures. Toolmarks and fingerprints left in the works imbue an expressionistic looseness to the forms. She works intuitively by allowing each form to emerge from the clay and invites the viewer to offer their own interpretation. Holliday’s non-representational prints stem from images that are observed, recorded, and repeatedly reprocessed through systems to alter them. Exploring the idea of attention as a measure of value, he gathers an archive of media to process, builds complexity, and subsequently creates the final work through traditional printmaking techniques. Rienzo’s photorealistic still life paintings explore archetypal themes found across cultures and historical periods. The depicted objects are laden with symbolic power and when combined with others from differing cultures and eras, explore the idea of untold myths and interconnectivity. There will be a virtual artist talk via Zoom on February 20, 2026, at 12pm. Visit www.sinclair.edu/artgalleries for details. The exhibitions will be on display from February 10 – March 13, 2026. Galleries are located on the fourth floor of building 13 (located at West Fifth and Perry Streets). The galleries are free and open to the public from 8am–6pm Monday–Friday and 9am–12pm Saturdays. Free and accessible parking is located in Parking Lot K.
