In January the University of Dayton’s Roger Glass Center for the Arts held a soft opening in advance of its April grand opening. The 51,200-square-foot center — named for the late Roger Glass, who was the lead donor for the project, a 1967 UD alum, and president and CEO of Marion’s Piazza — features a 386-seat concert hall, an experimental theater with 244 seats, a visual arts gallery 2D, 3D and digital art, and experiential learning facilities including a TV studio, control room, video-editing lab, radio studio and audio production suite.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
The Glass Center, designed to meet LEED-gold environmental standards, was designed in consultation with local arts organizations to complement existing venues in the region. It was supported by more than 120 donors, including faculty and staff, and Martha M. Walter, whose 2002 bequest for a future arts center was critical to making the facility possible. The cost of the project was $45 million.
Arts and culture a pivotal economic driver in four-county region, impact study shows
The Dayton region results of the Americans for the Arts’ sixth iteration of its Arts and Economic Prosperity study, conducted in partnership with Culture Works, Dayton’s longtime arts fundraising and advocacy organization, were revealed in January.
In 2022, $239 million of economic activity in Montgomery, Miami, Clark and Greene counties stemmed from investment in arts and culture, proving how essential the arts remain within the landscape of Dayton’s economic future.
Randy Cohen, vice president of research for Americans for the Arts, shared the results of the study, conducted from 2022 through early 2023. Notable findings included: event-related spending by art and culture audiences totaled $142.5 million, 4,490 local jobs are impacted by arts and culture, and 13,744 volunteers contributed to 397,000 hours, which accounts for $11.6 million in volunteer value.
Exploring Afrofuturism and its Dayton influences
In February the Dayton Daily News explored Afrofuturism and its unique, thought-provoking blend of Black culture, science fiction, technology, liberation and imagination through the perspective of the African diaspora. From legendary funk bands to the blockbuster “Black Panther” film franchise, the Dayton region can lay claim to the historical development and contemporary practice of Afrofuturism thanks to an array of artists with local ties whose work has been inspired by the genre, and in some instances, helped formulate its aesthetic.
Credit: Marvel Studios
Credit: Marvel Studios
“Dayton has some incredible contributors and contributions to the concept of Afrofuturism,” said Chicago-based collage artist, poet and educator Krista Franklin, a Xenia native who grew up in Trotwood. “First being the late brilliant writer and cultural critic Greg Tate who is one of the forefathers of the concept and was born in Dayton. Roger Troutman and Zapp (innovated) the fusion of technology and funk. I mean, ‘Computer Love.’ You can’t get any more Afrofuturist than that.”
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company names new top leader
In May the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, the world renown African-American modern and contemporary dance organization, named Debbie Blunden-Diggs as its chief executive and artistic director. Blunden-Diggs, daughter of DCDC founder Jeraldyne Blunden, had been serving since August 2023 as the interim senior leader of DCDC in the wake of Phyllis Brzozowska’s retirement as executive director. In her combined leadership role, Blunden-Diggs is in charge of all executive, administrative and artistic aspects of the company, which was founded in 1968.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Blunden-Diggs became artistic director for DCDC in 2007 and chief artistic and producing director in 2019. She also performed with the company for more than 20 years. As a choreographer, she has created works for the company that have become part of DCDC’s enduring fabric, most notably “Configurations,” “Kaleidoscope,” “In My Father’s House” and “Traffic.” In addition to her many awards and professional associations, she serves on the boards of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), DanceUSA and the Seedling Foundation for Stivers. In March 2023, she notably represented the IABD at the White House when the association was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Biden.
Stivers grad crowned Miss Ohio USA
Macy Hudson, a 2017 Stivers School for the Arts graduate, was crowned Miss Ohio USA in May and placed fourth runner-up in the 73rd Miss USA pageant in August. The fashion merchandising graduate of Kent State University attributed her confidence and stage presence to the dance and violin training she received at Stivers.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Hudson, who is working toward her MBA at The Ohio State University, is also the founder of 5:18 4LIFE, a nonprofit organization to bring awareness to rare blood disorders and the importance of blood donation. The organization is in honor of her sister, Moriah Hudson Burrage, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 27.
Keitaro Harada chosen as next leader of Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
In May the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance announced its selection of Keitaro Harada as the next music and artistic director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Credit: TAIRA TAIRADATE
Credit: TAIRA TAIRADATE
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Harada will become the fifth music director in the orchestra’s 92-year history, preceded by founder Paul Katz (1933–1975), Charles Wendelken-Wilson (1975–1987), Isaiah Jackson (1987–1995), and Neal Gittleman (1995–present). He officially assume the role of music and artistic director on July 1, 2025. He committed to a five-year term with the option to renew.
Harada is a recipient of the prestigious 2023 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award. He currently serves as music and artistic director of the Savannah Philharmonic in Savannah, Georgia, a position he’s held since the 2020-21 season.
Amy Schneider competes on ‘Jeopardy! Masters’
Credit: ABC
Credit: ABC
The iconic winner of the 2022 Tournament of Champions faced Season 1 “Masters” winner James Holzhauer, Season 1 “Masters” finalists Matt Amodio and Mattea Roach, 2024 Tournament of Champions winner Yogesh Raut, and 2024 Invitational Tournament winner Victoria Groce. Schneider, the runner-up in the Invitational Tournament, was specifically chosen as a Producers Pick.
Dayton Live names new leader
In June Gabriel van Aalst was named the new president and CEO of Dayton Live. He previously served as president and CEO of the New Jersey Symphony. Van Aalst, who began his role in September, succeeded Ty Sutton, who stepped down as Dayton Live’s president and CEO in October 2023 to become the president and CEO of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Credit: KINDRED LIGHT PHOTOS
Credit: KINDRED LIGHT PHOTOS
Van Aalst’s love of the arts was instilled in him as a child. He plays violin and piano and was principal second violin in the Sydney Youth Orchestra. He is particularly excited about Dayton Live’s involvement in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Spring Parliamentary Assembly that will take place Memorial Day weekend. The Schuster Center will be one of the venues expected to house 1,000 guests.
Area students represent Dayton on Broadway at Jimmy Awards
Connor Egloff of Stivers School for the Arts and Sydney Korpusik of Centerville High School represented Dayton Live and the Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards (MVHSTA) at the 15th annual Jimmy Awards which took place in June in New York City.
During the 2023-24 MVHSTA season, the graduating seniors were top scorers in their representative roles. Egloff portrayed the Baker in “Into the Woods” and Korpusik portrayed Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!”
Credit: MATT SILVER
Credit: MATT SILVER
Also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Jimmy Awards are a national celebration of outstanding student achievement, recognizing individual artistry in vocal, dance, and acting performance and elevating the importance of theatre arts education in schools.
Egloff and Korpusik, who grew up performing in shows together at Town Hall Theatre in Centerville, joined 100 other student nominees from across the country for a week-long intense training program that culminated with performing at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre, the home of Disney’s “The Lion King.” During the ceremony Egloff was among five students who received the award for Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble.
Masquerage, a popular annual fundraiser in Dayton, discontinued after 24 years
Best known as Dayton’s “Party of Parties for a Cause,” Masquerage was discontinued in June after 24 years.
The event was presented by Equitas Health, one of the largest LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS health care organizations in the U.S. The Columbus-based organization spearheaded the annual festivities in support of HIV/AIDS case management, education, prevention and advocacy.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
An elaborately entertaining and deco costume party uniquely themed every year, Masquerage enticed patrons with music, dancing, food, a silent auction and special performances. This year’s event was scheduled to take place in October at the Dayton Arcade.
More than $1.5 million has been raised to support its prevention and education programs since Masquerage’s inception in 2002.
‘Seed of Life’ Memorial a labor of love for collaborators
The “Seed of Life” team consisted of architect, sculptor and urban designer Terry Welker, artist and community builder Jes McMillan, poet, educator and community builder Sierra Leone, and artist, designer and community builder James Pate. The team was chosen by the 8/4 Memorial Committee in November 2023 to create the site.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
The memorial was chosen from a pool of 39 proposals across the country. The team was selected based on feedback from the community, art jurors and the 8/4 Memorial Committee. Design duties were divided into five components: poem, mosaic, sculpture, bench and plantings.
The Breeders, local business leaders, donors and more inducted into Dayton region Walk of Fame
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
The inductees were selected based on their impactful contributions locally, nationally and internationally. The Walk of Fame is installed in the sidewalks along West Third Street between Shannon and Broadway Streets in the historic Wright Dunbar Business District. Originally conceived as a recognition of the city of Dayton’s Bicentennial in 1996, the project has expanded to include nearly 200 inductees.
ThinkTV’s Bing Davis documentary premiered
ThinkTV’s documentary about the career of legendary Dayton artist and educator Willis “Bing” Davis premiered in October. The film, titled “Willis ‘Bing’ Davis: Reach High, Reach Back,” was created in partnership with Public Media Connect.
A lifelong educator, Davis began his career at Dayton Public Schools in 1960 and continued his professional work as a college professor, concluding locally at Central State University from 1978 to 1998. He particularly used his talents to create enlightening programs like REACH (Realizing Ethic Awareness and Cultural Heritage) across Dayton as well as the non-profit SHANGO.
Credit: EASTERLING STUDIOS
Credit: EASTERLING STUDIOS
The internationally renowned artist is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2022 Citizen Legion of Honor Award and 2009 Ohio Governor’s Irma Lazarus Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest art award given in the state of Ohio. In addition to his volunteer service as vice-chairman of the Ohio Arts Council, he is the owner and curator of the Willis “Bing” Davis Art Studio and EbonNia Gallery in the Wright Dunbar district.
Dayton Literary Peace Prize honors President Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter, a 2002 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was the 2024 recipient of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award in November. President Carter, who turned 100 years old Oct. 1 and passed away Dec. 29, served as the 39th president from Jan. 20, 1977-Jan. 20, 1981. He was also the author of 32 books and notably received three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album (“Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis,” “A Full Life: Reflections at 90,” “Faith — A Journey for All”).
Named in honor of the U.S. diplomat who brokered the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, the Holbrooke Award is annually given to a writer whose body of work fosters peace and global understanding. Previous recipients include Geraldine Brooks (2010), Tim O’Brien (2012), Gloria Steinem (2015), Margaret Atwood (2020/2021), Wil Haygood (2022), and Sandra Cisneros (2023) among others.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Jason Carter and Josh Carter, President Carter’s grandsons, were in attendance to accept the award on their grandfather’s behalf.
“Throughout his long and remarkable life, President Jimmy Carter has had many passions,” Jason Carter explained in a press statement. “Two of his most enduring interests have been a devotion to literature and a near-constant pursuit of a peaceful resolution to conflict. It is gratifying to have the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation choose to honor my grandfather with the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award for a lifetime of work melding two of his loves — literature and peace.”
Dayton Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ reimagined for a new generation
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s outstanding presentation of Dayton Ballet’s striking, stunning and superb world premiere of “The Nutcracker,” gorgeously choreographed with innovative staging by Dayton Ballet Artistic Director Brandon Ragland, wowed audiences in December.
Credit: ron valle
Credit: ron valle
Efforts were particularly made to ensure this reimagined, Dayton-themed version was less stereotypical and more culturally mindful, particularly in Act 2 when Clara is entertained by a variety of global influences. The Land of Sweets was attractively updated to The Land of Time with Mother Time replacing Mother Ginger.
Documentary about filmmaker Julia Reichert airing on Netflix
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Crafted by Steven Bognar of Yellow Springs, Reichert’s husband who shared Academy and Emmy Award honors for their documentary “American Factory,” “Julia’s Stepping Stones” is told in Reichert’s own words. Before her death in 2022 she recorded the story of how she became a filmmaker. The film premiered in April at the Full Frame Film Festival and marks the acclaimed duo’s final collaboration.
‘The Six Triple Eight’ on Netflix has area connection, makes shortlist for Academy Awards
In December Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight,” the inspiring, powerful story of World War II’s first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color led by Daytonian Charity Adams Earley, received its local premiere at The Neon and began streaming on Netflix.
Credit: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix
Credit: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix
Based on Kevin M. Hymel’s article “Fighting a Two-Front War” featured in WWII History Magazine, the film stars a terrifically commanding Kerry Washington as Adams, who at age 26 supervised the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Adams served as the highest-ranking Black woman officer during World War II. The unit, stationed in Birmingham, England, Rouen, France and Paris, sorted through 17 million pieces of backlogged mail.
Culture Works has impacted Dayton arts for 50 years
Culture Works celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024.
Formed in 1974 as the Dayton Performing Arts Fund, Culture Works, a rebranded merge of the Miami Valley Arts Council and ArtsDayton, has raised and granted funds for numerous arts organizations, specifically through its annual Campaign for the Arts.
Credit: SCOTT ROBBINS
Credit: SCOTT ROBBINS
Funding has included major organizations such as Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dayton Opera, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Human Race Theatre Company, Muse Machine, Springfield Symphony Orchestra and more. In an effort to honor the past and empower the future, Culture Works has also launched its $50 for 50 campaign to raise $50,000.
In Memoriam
Credit: FACEBOOK PHOTO
Credit: FACEBOOK PHOTO
Dayton native Joe Madison, a 2019 Radio Hall of Fame inductee and 1967 graduate of Roosevelt High School, died Jan. 31 at age 74 having battled prostate cancer. As host of the SiriusXM talk show “The Black Eagle,” he was known for providing a call to action for his listeners: “What are you going to do about it?” In October Cowart Street in Dayton was honorably designated as “Joe Madison Way.”
Dayton radio broadcaster Steve Kirk died Feb. 8 at age 91. In 1966 he made his Dayton debut on WING-AM (1410), where he worked for 25 years. He retired in 1998 and was inducted into the Ohio Radio-TV Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1999.
Credit: SCOTT J. KIMMINS
Credit: SCOTT J. KIMMINS
Kay Bosse, a 2006 Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame inductee known for her dedication to the craft as an actress, director, educator and playwright, died March 30 at Azura Memory Care in Clinton, Wisc. She was 75. Bosse, a dynamic presence, frequently performed with the Human Race Theatre Company, where she served as a resident actor.
Credit: FACEBOOK PHOTO
Credit: FACEBOOK PHOTO
Dayton native Barbara O. Jones, a widely respected actress whose work illuminated the L.A. Rebellion movement of Black filmmakers at UCLA in the 1970s, died Apr. 16 at her Dayton home. She was 82. Also credited as Barbarao, Barbara-O and BarbaraO during her career, Jones notably appeared in Julie Dash’s esteemed 1991 film “Daughters of the Dust,” which is part of the National Film Registry, and portrayed Muhammad Ali’s wife in the 1979 TV miniseries “Freedom Road.”
Bess Saylor Imber, who inspired generations of dancers having been associated with Dayton Ballet for more than 50 years, died May 3 at age 83. Imber, affectionally known as “Miss Bess,” began studying dance at the age of 6 at the Schwarz School of Dance with Dayton Ballet founders Josephine and Hermene Schwarz. She joined their Children’s Ballet Co. at age 9, and at 24 became a member of Dayton Civic Ballet, which is now Dayton Ballet. She retired as a dancer at 32 but continued with the company as a teacher and choreographer, particularly becoming the first artistic director of Dayton Ballet II in 1980.
Dayton visual artist Douglas R. Fiely, whose memberships included Dayton Visual Arts Center, the Dayton Society of Artists and the Dayton Printmakers Cooperative, died Sept. 11. He was 74. For more than 25 years he immersed himself in the Dayton arts community not only creating at his South Park studio but being showcased at various art exhibits around town.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Lorna Dawes, a Dayton arts advocate who notably served as executive director of the Muse Machine from 1994-2002, died Nov. 30. She was 89. At Wright State University, Dawes notably administered the University Artist Series and Madrigal Dinners and served as the director of the Wright State University Center from 1981-1992.
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