We checked out a current Dayton Society of Artists exhibit a reader messaged us about. She loves it.

“Lots of stories there,” Stork wrote. “Many of the graduates had an influence on Dayton culture. One artist I met at the opening was John Fryant who had five hand-built small steam ships purchased by the Smithsonian with three still on display.”

Fryant’s painting of sailboats is included at the DSA show.

There were lifelong matches made at the school. A memorial to artists Joan and Louis Weber is highlighted. Mark and Jill Freytag also attended the DAI — Mark, a graphic designer, Jill, a photographer.

Credit: B.R. Elswick

Credit: B.R. Elswick

You’re likely to recognize the names of other popular local artists. One of them is Jon Barlow Hudson of Yellow Springs who is internationally known and created 24 public sculptures throughout China. He’s also the creator of “Fluid Dynamics,” the bright yellow sculpture across from The Neon movie theater in downtown Dayton.

Hudson credits his interest in sculpture to Bob Koepnick who taught the subject at the DAI when Hudson studied there from 1965-1967.

“For me, it was an exciting time because of the different art movements in New York and around the world,” Hudson said. “ Everyone was so creative, very energetic and everyone interacted wonderfully. Being connected to the museum was really wonderful.”

Credit: B.R. Elswick

Credit: B.R. Elswick

Many artists, including Hudson, were inspired by instructor Ray Must, who taught drawing and printmaking, first at the DAI and later at Wright State University.

Artist Virginia Burroughs calls Must her “favorite and most influential instructor” and pays tribute to him in the large drawing at the DSA show. Look closely and you can see goat hair from a hair brush that she used for his beard.

“He made me ‘see,’ experiment, was always supportive,” Burroughs said. ”Even after DAI, he kept up with students’ work, showing up at exhibits in which they were included. He was always involved, active in, and supportive of the Dayton visual arts scene."

Burroughs said that after high school she was under the impression that “good” art meant it looked very realistic. But during her first semester at DAI, she realized it was more about line, shape tones — in all kinds of materials and techniques.

“The DAI was the perfect post high school experience for me: everything and everybody was about art — we were immersed in drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, industrial design, advertising. I don’t think there were more than 200 students in the school when I was there from so we knew everyone, regardless of grade level, and our instructors knew us. It was a cauldron of creativity, sparking ideas and new works. Our instructors were amazing — all professionals in their areas, many who maintained their studios in NYC."

Burroughs said that until the early ’70s, most colleges didn’t have art departments so they sent students majoring in art education or a related field to a museum art school for courses, but they were only there part-time.

“Full time students majored in fine art, commercial art or industrial design. Many of our industrial design student went to GM in Detroit after graduation to design cars. Commercial art students went to established art studios or started their own — there were many in Dayton at the time because of the publishing businesses in town like McCall’s, and there were plenty of jobs.”

In those years, Burroughs said, folks could get a job with a DAI diploma, they didn’t need a college degree.

“But, as degrees became more necessary, the art schools couldn’t keep up; they would have to add academic classes and find folks to teach them. For many years before that, the DAI school had attracted students from UD, Wittenberg, and other area colleges for art courses. But, as they started their own art departments, the DAI couldn’t compete. My aunt attended the DAI school back in the ’20s, when it was located downtown. Many WWII vets attended with their GI bills.”

Burroughs went on to complete a degree at the University of Dayton and a Master of Humanities at Wright State University, but said no experience was as valuable to her as the DAI.

There were lifelong matches made at the school. A memorial to artists Joan and Louis Weber is highlighted. Mark and Jill Freytag also attended the DAI. Mark is a graphic designer, Jill is a photographer.

Visiting the exhibit

If you haven’t visited the DSA gallery on High Street in the St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood, you’re in for a treat. It’s housed in a charming Victorian-style house. The current exhibit takes up three of the rooms; an exhibit by Dayton artist James Pate is in the fourth gallery. Some of the work is for sale.

At the DAI retrospective there’s a work by well-known Dayton artist, Paul Melia. Barb Stork met Melia’s daughter, a children’s book illustrator, at the exhibit opening.

“She shared what was like growing up with an artist father,” Stork said. " She talked about how hard he worked at his art and how successful he was as an independent full time artist. I remembered him sketching beautiful color portraits at the DAI during special events.“

There’s a 1979 painting by Curtis Barnes, Sr., who was recently featured in a DAI special exhibition and a mixed-media portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat by Terry Monk.

“Art has been, and will continue to be, a constant companion throughout my life,” said Monk in his artist statement, praising his time at the DAI school. “The experiences and skills gained during that period continue to inform and enrich my creative practice.”

Credit: B.R. Elswick

Credit: B.R. Elswick

When Bob Naas enrolled at the DAI school in 1995 he planned to become a graphic designer. But every two-dimensional project he was assigned evolved into three-dimensions.

The school’s industrial design studio changed his art direction-and his life.

“After graduation I spent 49 years working with consultant design offices all over the country designing products as diverse as fork-lift trucks, surgical equipment, tents and chain saws for major corporations all over the world,” he said

The idea for the DSA exhibit came from Margie McCullough, a fine art photographer. She is married to painter Jim McCullough who attended the DAI art school.

“About three years ago some of the alum started to get together for lunch,” Maggie said. “They talked about how much fun they had and the camaraderie. I thought their work should be showcased.”

She contacted the DSA’s recently retired director Jo Bell as well as the president of the board, Julie Riley, and Tamiko Stump, the board’s exhibition lead. They reached out to people who’d gone to the DAI with the intention of graduating, not just those who had taken a class there. Artists were invited to show their current work or something from their school days; both are represented in the exhibit.

Sixty people responded; 35 brought art to the gallery.

Opening night, Margie said, was pretty exciting.

“We had a ball. There were alumni in the show who didn’t know each other. There were people in their 80s, 70s — a nice mix. Everyone was so friendly and loved reminiscing and catching up.”

HOW TO GO