Member’s Spotlight Exhibitions

The Member’s Spotlight Exhibitions at The Contemporary Dayton celebrate the vibrant creativity of our local and regional artist community. Open to all current artist members, this ongoing series offers participants the unique opportunity to present a focused body of work in a solo exhibition curated by Heather Jones, Curator and Director of Programs and Engagement.

Each exhibition is installed in The T. Chase Hale & Jonathan A. Hale Gallery and remains on view for one month, opening with a public reception on the first Wednesday and continuing through the last Saturday of the month. These exhibitions not only highlight the diverse practices and perspectives of our members but also provide a professional platform for artists to gain visibility and engage directly with audiences.

Most artworks are available for purchase, with proceeds supporting both the artist and The Contemporary Dayton’s mission to advance equity, diversity, and access through contemporary art. Participation in the Member’s Spotlight series is one of the many valuable benefits of being an artist member of The Contemporary Dayton.

Currently on View

Dan Cleary, Roebling Bridge & Cincinnati Skyline, 2025, pigment print, 24 x 36 inches, $675

Dan Cleary: Five Views of Ohio

January 7 – 31, 2026

Opening Reception: January 7, 6 – 8 pm

Closing Reception: January 31, 4 – 6 pm

Dan Cleary: Five Views of Ohio features work from the Dayton-based photographer’s ongoing Ohio Landscape series, in which he turns his lens toward the places that shape daily life across the region. For years, he has traveled throughout Ohio’s cities, rivers, and countryside, capturing scenes that reveal the quiet rhythms of a landscape both familiar and constantly shifting. In these five photographs, Cleary explores his connection to home through light, water, and motion—moving from the still surface of a backwater stream to the rush of a downtown river or streetcar.

All artworks in this exhibition are available for purchase. Please visit the reception desk or speak to a staff member to purchase. Proceeds support both the artist and The Contemporary Dayton’s mission to connect artists and audiences through accessible, engaging contemporary art experiences.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Dan Cleary is a professional and fine art photographer based in Dayton, Ohio, who has been creating images for many years. He has an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, and is known for his thoughtful, quietly evocative photographs of Midwestern landscapes and cityscapes. His work often explores the overlap of history, community, and place—whether in his ongoing Ohio Landscape series or in projects that blend archival imagery with contemporary scenes, like his Wright Brothers: Then and Now and Indianapolis 500: Then and Now series. In addition to running Cleary Creative Photography, Dan is also an educator and mentor who teaches students and adults how to see light, create photographs with intention, and use their cameras as tools for genuine personal expression.