David Smith retrospective planned

The Dayton Society of Artists and The Dayton Art Institute are partnering to present an exhibition and sale by one of Dayton’s most beloved artists. David Smith, well known for his sketches of the Miami Valley, died in 2016 at the age of 95 and asked that his work be shared with proceeds supporting the Dayton Art Institute.

The show will feature over 500 works spanning Smith’s lengthy artistic career. Works are affordable — ranging from $10 for quick gesture drawings to $300 for framed watercolors. The exhibit runs from June 2-July 1 with a free public opening reception from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, June 2. The gallery is at 48 High St. in Dayton’s St. Anne’s Historic District.

Known for his architectural renderings, Smith’s portfolio consists of works on paper in the media of watercolor, ink, monoprint and acrylic.

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“The making of art came naturally to David, it was something he just did and he made you feel welcome to join with him and be a part of the creative experience,” says Smith’s friend Walt Murch, He says Smith encouraged artists — whether that was by planning yearly Plein Air Outings, initiating an annual Print Show, or helping to secure the house at 48 High St. so that artists would have their own place to show their art.

More about David Smith

Smith graduated from Oakwood High School in 1939 and went on to study at Miami University. He left Miami to serve three years in the U.S Army during WW II. Stationed in the Pacific, he never stopped making art. “When I was in the military during the Second World War, I always carried a pencil in my pocket and a sketchbook in my barracks bag,” he said.

During this time he drew a series of 29 pencil drawings that reflected the daily life of a soldier. “Sgt. Smith’s Sketchbook: 1943-1945 a World Away” was published shortly before his death. After the war, he finished his studies at Miami and received his MFA from the University of Iowa in 1950.

Smith taught art at Fairmont West High School for 18 years and then 10 years part-time at the Dayton Art Institute and the University of Dayton. He was the past president of the Western Ohio Watercolor Society and Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors (now the Dayton Society of Artists), and a member of the Miami Valley Arts Council. He exhibited his work both locally and nationally.

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The 48 High Street Gallery will be open on Saturday, June 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood event “Trash to Treasure.” Additional gallery hours during the David Smith exhibition will be Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. through July 1.

WalkingStick art chosen for national calendar

If the painting on the cover of the 2018 calendar from the National Museum of the American Indian looks familiar, it should. According to the Washington museum thousands cast their vote for “the extraordinary image of “New Mexico Desert” by Kay WalkingStick.

The painting was one of 60 on display at the Dayton Art Institute as part of the exhibit “Kay WalkingStick: An American Artist,” The show, which closed earlier this month, was the first major retrospective of one of today’s most accomplished Native American artists and a leading practitioner of contemporary landscape painting.

Art Ball theme inspired by landscape painting

Did you know that each year’s Art Ball at the Dayton Art Institute is inspired by a piece of artwork in the museum’s permanent collection?

The elegant gala is marking its 60th anniversary on Saturday, June 10. The black-tie party is hosted by the museum’s Associate Board and is one of the museum’s primary fundraisers. Chairs Britt and Andy Platt have selected Arthur Wesley Dow’s “Lavender and Green” as the featured artwork. The oil on canvas was purchased with funds provided by the James F. Dicke Family.

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According to the DAI, Arthur Wesley Dow traveled to Paris and Pont-Aven in Brittany where he studied Post-Impressionism and the work of Paul Gauguin and Maurice Denis. At Pont-Aven, Dow sketched the landscape repeatedly at sunset, paying particular attention to the shifting colors. This particular work was inspired by the Blue Dragon waterway and the marshes near Dow’s Bayberry Hill studio in Ipswich, Mass.

Britt Platt says she and her husband were drawn to the Dow painting because of the vibrant pastel colors and marsh landscape. “The view of the marsh reminds us of our favorite vacation destination, Seabrook Island, S.C.,” she says. “It was then a no-brainer to use lavendar and shades of purple for our accent colors.”

They chose ivory, white, and gold tones for linens to add a timeless feel for the special anniversary.

The Art Ball features cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a formal dinner in the museum galleries, music, dancing, open bars, specialty martinis, cigars and liqueurs.

Tickets start at $325 each. For reservations contact Elaine Gounaris, at egounaris@daytonart.org or (937) 512-0153. For more information about Art Ball, as well as a look back at the history of Art Ball, visit daytonartinstitute.org/artball.

Birthday party for Frank Lloyd Wright

To celebrate 150th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth, the Westcott House in Springfield will release “Wright in Ohio,”an art book featuring photography by Thomas R. Schiff and published in partnership with the Ohio History Connection.

The museum is also planning a birthday party fund-raiser on Saturday evening, June 10. The special evening will include an open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres by Seasons Bistro and Grille, dancing in the Westcott House gardens with the Dean Simms Band, silent and live auctions — including travel packages to world- famous Frank Lloyd Wright sites and a ride in a restored 1920 Westcott car.

Tickets are available at the door for $85 a person or $160 a couple. Attire is “summer cocktail.” For more information call the Westcott House office at (937) 327-9291.


Each week arts writer Meredith Moss shares news about the people and events making arts news in our region. If you have information you’d like to have included, contact Meredith: MMoss@coxohio.com

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