It’s February 2nd, and we are waiting to see if the groundhog sees his shadow. It’s been very cold in Dayton, but that doesn’t keep things from happening! New galleries will soon be opening in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District. Cultureworks launched their fundraising campaign last Thursday. We in the Dayton area are extremely lucky because we are supported in the arts by corporations, individuals, and the local government, although visual artists continue to have a difficult time selling enough art to live on….

However, artists continue to produce excellent work here. Calligrapher and handmade bookmaker extraordinare Ann Bain currently has an exhibition at the Marian Library at the University of Dayton. The Cannery Art and Design Center celebrated an anniversary and continues to promote the arts. The Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC) is our ever present artists’ advocate, seeking opportunities for artists and art lovers alike, as well as developing new art lovers as folks learn the intrinsic value of art in one’s life.

As for me, I am learning to manage a website for the first time, and will be posting my own images – hopefully you can see the first one – and writing a little on art as well. I am beginning research on a new series, hoping to draw attention in a visual way to women who worked for change in the world, people whom we may not be aware of but who deserve their place in the history books. This is an outgrowth of my last series of work, “Dinner in the City”. I will write more about that as time passes, so stay tuned.