Dayton once had its own art school.
Founded in the early 1900s by local artists, The School of the Dayton Art Institute was in fact the genesis of our city’s iconic fine art museum.
A special exhibition at the Dayton Society of Artists explores the intertwined history of the two entities. “School of the DAI Alumni Retrospective” brings together work from over 40 former students, many of whom studied in the 1960s and are still active today.
“Because the DSA was originally formed in 1938 by artists connected to the DAI, hosting this retrospective is a full-circle moment,” said Tamiko Stump, Executive Director at the DSA.
Known as a “Saturday School,” classes were held at the DAI during closed hours. Students would pull art horse benches into the galleries at night to work from the collection. There were also studios and an art library.
The school closed in 1975, leaving with it a legacy of generations of artists.
A trifecta
“Anyone who says Dayton doesn’t do anything isn’t paying attention,” said local historian Kathleen Caffrey.
She noted that the group of early 20th century artists were intent on a trifecta of goals for Dayton: an art club, a museum, and a school. They had been meeting in living rooms and parks across the city until finally moving into the museum in 1938, the same year the DSA formed.
Winnie Barnett Potter attended the School of the Dayton Art Institute in the 1930s. “Fireside Safari” is a gouache and ink illustration for Rike’s department store from Dayton’s bygone advertising era. Hannah Kasper – Contributed
Rediscovering the School of the Dayton Art Institute
One of the earliest alumni in the show is Winnie Barnett Potter, who attended the Art Institute from 1937-39. “Fireside Safari” is a gouache and ink fashion illustration with pasted copy and visible correction fluid. A relic of a bygone era — when graphics were hand done — it was the Dayton Ad Club Exhibit’s 1967 award winner. A Rikes department store ad, it was printed in the Dayton Daily News.
Time capsules hang alongside living legends like Willis “Bing” Davis. His “Ancestral Spirit Dance” is a mixed media piece that reflects his love of traditional African textiles. Davis attended the DAI in the 60s to further his skills while teaching in the local school system.
“Flying Machines,” a watercolor mixed media piece from 1995 by School of the Dayton Art Institute alum Paul Melia. Hannah Kasper – Contributed
Rediscovering the School of the Dayton Art Institute
Another eye grabbing piece is Paul Melia’s watercolor “Flying Machines” from 1995. The complex composition layers an angel with the Wright Flyer. Melia, who passed away in 2019, won a scholarship to attend the School of the DAI before spending over two decades as a commercial illustrator for H&H Art Studio in Dayton.
Dayton still has its museum in the DAI, and an art club in the DSA. Now how about bringing back that art school?
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A closing reception and alumni reunion takes places 12-3 p.m. Saturday Sept. 5.
Running concurrently in the project space is “Double Exposure.” A multimedia collaboration between photographer Margie McCullough and art quilter Betsy Bennett, the two friends blend their mediums with found objects and custom hanging systems.
If You Go
What: “School of the DAI Alumni Retrospective” and “Double Exposure”
When: Through September 6, 2026, Fridays & Saturdays 12–5 p.m.
Where: Dayton Society of Artists, 48 High Street, Dayton
Free and open to the public
Hannah Kasper is an artist and writer based in Dayton, Ohio.