Dayton Visual Arts Center Opens New Home
Dayton Daily News
Dayton Visual Arts Center opens new home on Monday
Larger Jefferson Street location wins director’s praise
By Pamela Dillon
DAYTON | The sleek look of Dayton Visual Art Center’s new entrance belies the traditional feel of the old Bindery Building on North Jefferson Street as if to say, “Hey, look at me!”
The 26-inch-high steel letters in DVAC’s contemporary logo jump out at passers-by, offset by 385 square feet of storefront glass and a bright orange-red brick facade.
Upon entering, the expanse of cream-colored walls and 16-foot ceiling make the 1,810-square-foot NCR Gallery seem even more spacious.
The moveable walls and smell of fresh paint suggest growth and promise.
“I am thrilled that local artists have this place to call home,” DVAC Director Jane Black said. “It’s really going to give us the resources that we need to do the kind of programming that the community wants.”
For the past 10 years, the artists’ home was at Fourth and Ludlow streets.
The new venue is about four times the size of that space.
The 15-year-old nonprofit collective opens its new doors to the public on Monday.
“We have an amazing core of support. They’re not big in numbers, but their support is huge,” Black said.
The DVAC board of trustees pledged $80,000 and charged architect Mary Rogero with designing a larger, more flexible gallery, offices and workshop space.
One of DVAC’s founders, Linda Lombard, brought together four former board presidents and community volunteers to raise $500,000 to renovate the space and seed an endowment fund. Both the Kettering Fund and the NCR Foundation made substantial gifts.
The campaign raised $676,188 from 144 donors.
In addition to the NCR Gallery in front, the space includes a reception cubicle, a large workshop/conference room, two office areas, storage room/loading dock and fully equipped kitchen.
“One of the tasks for nonprofits that is so important to stay solvent is to identify revenue streams,” Black said. “By offering a service like rental space, we can expand our usefulness to the community.”
Contact arts writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com