ART IN THE CITY

Art in the City is Downtown Dayton's annual celebration of the incredible collection of visual and performing arts experiences in our city! Dayton has an unbelievable breadth and depth of the arts for a city our size, and downtown is the center of it all. Each year, Art in the City showcases local art and artists of all kinds to highlight and celebrate that artistic variety.

New this year!

This year, Art in the City will stretch beyond its typical one-day event to celebrate the arts all month long!

The celebration will be comprised of three main components (see below for details on each). Those will include:

- An Art in the City Kickoff Festival on Saturday, August 1 - (See details)

- Special Art in the City art exhibits, installations, and pop-ups throughout downtown,
   including the annual Juried Art Show - (See details)

- A full month of arts-related events by downtown art organizations and others - (See details)

Art in the City Kickoff Festival - Saturday, August 1 - 1-7 p.m.

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Special Art in the City Exhibits, Installations, & Pop-Ups

Art in the City Juried Art Show

August 1-15 - The Dayton Arcade

As part of this year's celebrations for Art in the City, the Dayton Society of Artists has juried work from 12 of the area's most talented new and emerging artists to feature in the 2026 Juried Art Show. Each of these 12 works was inspired by a conversation with a downtown business owner. Visit these works at the North Arcade Gallery and vote for your favorite piece. The artist whose work receives the most votes will earn a prize. Voting is open until Saturday, August 15. The winner will be announced shortly after.

The Juried Art Show is organized by the Dayton Society of Artists.

LeMonde Light Lane

August 1-31 - Third Street in front of The Dayton Arcade

Light Lane is an interactive public art installation created by LeMonde Studio. It combines stationary bicycles, projection mapping, lighting, and sound to create a human-powered immersive experience that encourages play, sustainability, and community interaction. Four bicycles will be featured during this month-long exhibit.

Light Lane is sponsored by PNC.

Art in the City Dance Pop-Up

August 15 - 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. - Dayton Metro Library Main Library 

Watch local artists perform a variety of dance, including ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, traditional, and more at this special Art in the City Dance Pop-Up event! Plus, check out the Digital Greeting Card Workshop from the African American Visual Artists Guild - create a digital card to print and take home!

Future Is Now X Museum Group Exhibition

(Grant winner)

July 31-August 7 - 118 N. Jefferson St. and 40 N. Ludlow St. 

Future Is Now X Museum presents its inaugural Group Exhibition, an eight-day multimedia event uniting 154 visual artists, live musicians, DJ performers, and digital innovators at 118 N. Jefferson St. and 40 N. Ludlow St. in downtown Dayton. Running July 31 through August 7, 2026, the exhibition is curator Kimyon Huggins’ first Dayton production since leaving for New York City in 1998, channeling thirty years of practice at the intersection of art, music, and technology back into the city where it began. More details and full schedule of happenings here.

TDS (Tornadic Debris Signature)

August 1-31 - The Dayton Arcade 

See Artist Leesa Haapapuro's Tornadic Debris Signature installation that will be part of a series of work investigating the effects of climate change.  Artwork from the series will be on display through August 31. During the Art in the City kickoff event on August 1, join Leesa as she creates elements for the installation. The artist invites participants to try their hand at needle felting wool.

Exhibits at The Contemporary Dayton

Niki Johnson: Pillars of Democracy - through August 15 
Niki Johnson: Pillars of Democracy presents four large-scale mixed-media portraits that reimagine the ideals of liberty, justice, freedom, and progress through layered collage.

Threads of History: Quilts by Carolyn Mazloomi - through September 12
A landmark exhibition of 20 quilts by acclaimed artist, historian, and curator Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, whose powerful black-and-white works honor the lives and legacies of Black freedom fighters.

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Arts Events All Month Long

Art in the City's celebration of downtown's visual and performing arts continues throughout the month of August!

Below is a calendar of arts-related events planned throughout the month. Be sure to support our great arts organizations and others who plan arts events in our city. Mark your calendar now and plan to experience the arts all month long!

↓ August 2026 Calendar of Arts Events ↓

More events will be added continually, so check back often!

Year-Round Art

You can also explore art all year long in downtown Dayton. Download this handy map of downtown's art galleries, murals, public art, and museums and check out their exhibits whenever you're in the mood for more art!