Dayton once had its own art school.<\/p>\n
Founded in the early 1900s by local artists, The School of the Dayton Art Institute was in fact the genesis of our city\u2019s iconic fine art museum.<\/p>\n
A special exhibition at the Dayton Society of Artists explores the intertwined history of the two entities. \u201cSchool of the DAI Alumni Retrospective\u201d brings together work from over 40 former students, many of whom studied in the 1960s and are still active today.<\/p>\n
“Because the DSA was originally formed in 1938 by artists connected to the DAI, hosting this retrospective is a full-circle moment,\u201d said\u00a0Tamiko\u00a0Stump, Executive Director at the DSA.<\/p>\n
Known as a \u201cSaturday School,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
The school closed in 1975, leaving with it a legacy of generations of artists.<\/p>\n
A trifecta<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who says Dayton doesn\u2019t do anything isn\u2019t paying attention,\u201d said local historian Kathleen Caffrey.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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Winnie Barnett Potter attended the School of the Dayton Art Institute in the 1930s. \u201cFireside Safari\u201d is a gouache and ink illustration for Rike\u2019s department store from Dayton\u2019s bygone advertising era. Hannah Kasper – Contributed<\/p>\n
Rediscovering the School of the Dayton Art Institute<\/a><\/p>\n One of the earliest alumni in the show is Winnie Barnett Potter, who attended the Art Institute from 1937-39. \u201cFireside Safari\u201d is a gouache and ink fashion illustration with pasted copy and visible correction fluid. A relic of a bygone era \u2014 when graphics were hand done \u2014 it was the Dayton Ad Club Exhibit\u2019s 1967 award winner. A Rikes department store ad, it was printed in the Dayton Daily News.<\/p>\n Time capsules hang alongside living legends like Willis \u201cBing\u201d Davis. His \u201cAncestral Spirit Dance\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cFlying Machines,\u201d a watercolor mixed media piece from 1995 by School of the Dayton Art Institute alum Paul Melia. Hannah Kasper – Contributed<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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