Tell us a bit about yourself and your business.
I’m Abby Beneke, Marketing Director for K12 Gallery & TEJAS. K12 has consistently had various art classes, events, and exhibitions every single year. We have programs for ages ranging from pre-k students all the way to adults. Along with our own K12 community, we also provide art educators to many schools in the Dayton area, including Chaminade Julienne, Ascension School, Piqua Catholic, and more.
Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, there are still opportunities for everyone at K12. We don’t require any prior experience for many of our classes. So if you’d like to try glass blowing and have no idea where to start, our teachers do a great job of working with you from the beginning.
This is my first year as the Marketing Director and I love how many programs we provide and how many different people we support. You can really tell how much passion our staff, teachers, and students have when they are creating at K12.
How long have you been in operation?
K12 has been in operation for over 25 years. We’ve had many upgrades and still have plans to grow. We currently are at the beautiful building on Jefferson Street covered in murals. We have a lot of space with different art studios and plan on expanding onto our 2nd floor. The support and inspiration we received has sparked in this place 25 years ago and is still active today.
What do you enjoy about working in downtown Dayton?
I love Dayton because it feels like family. The community has a lot of support for one another and you can tell the people here want to make it better for everyone. We strive for that same mentality at K12, especially when supporting students. We not only provide financial support when needed but also a place to feel welcome and wanted.
Tell us something about your business that may surprise people to learn.
K12 is constantly changing. We are always trying to expand the art mediums we provide and the community we serve. If you have been here, you can see all the new projects we’re working on or the building improvements.
How is your business coping with the pandemic and how can people support you now?
Just like many businesses, K12 has had to shift our daily operations and programs to adjust to the pandemic. We have stayed open and hope to continue that as safely as we can. Although simplified, we have still had our Summer Camps, Saturday Classes, and After School Classes. We are always open for donations whether they be fine art supplies or now cleaning supplies such as disinfectants, paper towels, hand soap, etc.
The biggest way that we can get support from the community is just staying up to date with us. Like I said, we are constantly changing and implementing new programs, so awareness does a great deal for us. We post on our social media and have a lot of information on our website as well.
K12 Gallery & TEJAS
341 S. Jefferson St.
www.k12tejasgallery.org
937-461-5149
facebook.com/k12gallery
Instagram: @k12galleryandtejas
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