Biennial Members + Student Invitational
WAKING UP
THE DR. ROBERT L. BRANDT, JR. FAMILY GALLERY
THE JACK W. & SALLY D. EICHELBERGER FOUNDATION VIDEO GALLERY
THE IRA H. & SUSAN P. THOMSEN FAMILY GALLERY
AUG 5 – SEP 4, 2022
The Contemporary Dayton Biennial Member and Student Invitational is presented in memory of founding member and artist, Raymond L. Must (1929–2022), and long-time member and educator, Carol A. Nathanson (1945–2022).
Waking Up: The Contemporary Dayton Biennial Member and Student Invitational features artwork created over the past year around the theme of emerging from the pandemic by artists living and working in Dayton and throughout Ohio; and a selection of top emerging artists from area colleges and universities. The exhibition also includes the Mike Goheen Memorial Fund Award for Emerging Photographers, selected by Tracy Longley-Cook, Associate Professor of Photography, Wright State University. This exhibition is organized by Cydnie King, Curatorial Assistant at The Co.
As Oscar Wilde said, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life,” Cydnie King was curious to explore how artists imitated the eventful life around them through their recent work. While organizing Waking Up, King drew on personal experiences as an artist living and working through the height of the pandemic. “I remember this odd feeling of optimism when the lockdown first started. I kept thinking, ‘I’d get so much drawing done, I can deep clean the house, I have time to make more art. This is going to be great!’ Fast forward to the end of the lockdown, and I hadn’t made anything. I spent that time at home with my 2-year-old in an isolated social bubble. I was nowhere near as productive as I wanted to be. I felt distracted, overwhelmed by the state of the world, guilty about my lack of productivity, and anxious to get back to how things were. As time pressed on, I decided to try to work through my creative slump instead of despairing and it was like waking up from a dream state. I wanted to make up for the time I lost and couldn’t get the ideas out of my head fast enough. For this exhibition, I wanted to reflect the mindset of many artists I’ve come to admire while working at The Co and explore what they were thinking during the time when most of the country was on pause.”
MEMBER ARTISTS
Zachary Armstrong
Robert Blackstone
Tess Cortés
Shon Curtis
Andrew Dailey
John Dickinson
Horace Dozier, Sr.
Jamaal Durr
Michael “Ace” Gummer
Darren Haper
Julie Renee Jones
Katherine Kadish
David Leach
Brian Mathus
Kate Santucci
Francis Schanberger
Susanne Scherette King
Erin Smith Glenn
Kyle Thiele
Joel Whitaker
STUDENT ARTISTS
Veronica Bernacki (University of Dayton)
Kendall Brock (Columbus College of Art & Design)
Cassie Crownover (Wright State University)
Shannon Gallion (Wright State University)
Trevor Montei (Wright State University)
Claire Murphy (University of Dayton)
Kaylee Peters (University of Dayton)
Amalia Rose Petreman (Wright State University)
Mar Quintero (Wright State University)
Quan Thai (University of Dayton)
Megan Weeda (University of Dayton)
Jess Williams (University of Dayton)
ABOUT THE ORGANIZER
Cydnie King was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives in Fairborn, Ohio with her husband and son. King earned a Bachelor of Arts with Emphasis in Studio Art at Webster University. After graduating in 2014, she started as an Intern at The Contemporary Dayton and is now a Curatorial Assistant. King is also an exhibiting artist who has art displayed throughout the Midwest in public and private collections including the University of Dayton.
THE MIKE GOHEEN MEMORIAL AWARD FOR EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERSThe Mike Goheen Memorial Award for Emerging Photographers honors the longtime Member of The Co, Mike Goheen, and his legacy and passion for photography. The award was established in 2017 by Mike’s partner and supporter of The Co, Craig Schrolucke, and provides $500 as cash prizes to photographers participating in the Biennial Member and Student Invitational. The award is one of the largest of its kind in the region and is awarded every two years to a photographer who demonstrates experimental photographic methods. This year, the award will be selected by Tracy Longley-Cook, Associate Professor of Photography, Wright State University.
ABOUT THE PRIZE JUROR
Tracy Longley-Cook has a BFA from the University of Washington (1997) and MFA in photography from Arizona State University (2007). Tracy also studied at the Maine Photographic Workshops residency program from 1994-1995. Currently, she is an Associate Professor of Photography, and an Associate Chair of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Wright State University.
2022 AWARD WINNERS
First Place: Julie Renee Jones, Underside
Honorable Mention: Joel Whitaker, Nesting 1
Honorable Mention: Shon Curtis, Mr. Musa in Autumn
SPONSORS
EDUCATION & PUBLIC PROGRAMS PARTNER
Dr. Robert L. Brandt, Jr.
PRODUCTION PARTNER
Mitosis
ABOUT THE CONTEMPORARY DAYTON
Mission: To provide art for the community and a community for artists.
Overview: The Contemporary Dayton (The Co) is the region’s contemporary art center. Established in 1991 as Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC), a 501c3, The Co produces and presents original exhibitions and programs, art events, community partnerships, and artist opportunities. Exhibitions and education programs feature artists living and working today, both nationally and in Ohio, with an emphasis on those whose work focuses on issues of social justice. In addition to its three galleries—open to all and always free—its retail store, the CoSHOP, provides income for Ohio artists and extends The Co’s accessibility to art, from visitor engagement to educational outreach through store products, programs, and experiences.
The Co is proud to support the creation of connections among the arts, community building, civic engagement, community planning, and use of public space, and makes an annual economic impact of 3.4 million to the region. Recently raising 1 million during the Pandemic to expand and move into its new home in downtown’s historic Dayton Arcade, The Co is led by Executive Director Eva Buttacavoli, a 30-year art museum administrator, curator, and educator, whose previous roles were at The Contemporary Austin, TX and The Perez Art Museum Miami, FL; and Curator Michael Goodson, who previously served as Curator at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Beeler Gallery, Columbus College of Art and Design, OH; and as Director at James Cohan Gallery, NY.
The Contemporary Dayton receives operating support from Culture Works, Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District, Ohio Arts Council, the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation, and Members.
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