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

Elisha Frontz, Tiger Lily Dreaming: 2.666…, 2022, watercolor on paper, string, sewing pattern, brass tacks, wire, wood, 16 x 16 inches, $600. Courtesy of the artist.

Elisha Frontz: vernal equinox

March 4 – 28, 2026

Opening Reception: March 4, 6 – 8 pm

Closing Reception: March 28, 4 – 6 pm

Elisha Frontz: vernal equinox features recent work by Dayton-based artist, musician, and poet. Working with an interdisciplinary sensibility, Frontz allows material investigation and musicality to inform one another. Her process balances technical precision with intuitive gesture, resulting in compositions that feel at once deliberate and emergent.

These mixed-media paintings—watercolor on paper combined with sewing patterns, string, and brass tacks—celebrate the vernal equinox, the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. As the sun crosses the celestial equator, day and night reach near equilibrium, marking a moment of balance, transition, and renewal that resonates through Frontz’s layered materials and luminous palette.

All artworks in this exhibition are available for purchase. Please visit the reception desk or speak to a staff member for more information. 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

Elisha Frontz is a Dayton, Ohio–based visual artist and musician whose work is grounded in a sculptural understanding of form, structure, and rhythm. A graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati (BFA, Sculpture, 2004), Frontz approaches her practice with an interdisciplinary sensibility, allowing material exploration and musicality to inform one another.

Her creative process is rooted in curiosity and experimentation, balancing technical precision with intuitive expression. In 2025, she was awarded Best of Show at the Ohio Biennial in Columbus, Best of Show at the Member’s Exhibition at The Contemporary Dayton, and Best of Show at The Golden Ticket Exhibition at the Harrison Art Center in Indianapolis—recognitions that highlight her impact within the regional arts community across Ohio and Indiana.

In addition to her studio practice, Frontz has taught classes and workshops at the Dayton Art Institute and the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, sharing her passion for material exploration and creative problem-solving with emerging artists.

Frontz lives and works in Dayton, where her practice continues to examine how delicacy and endurance coexist within both material and experience. Her work and process can be followed through Art of Elisha Frontz on social media and at www.elishafrontzart.com.