CITY OF DAYTON ART
View the art and read about the artists below. The City of Dayton department that has the highest percentage of individual participation during the Culture Works Workplace Campaign 2024 will select one of the beautiful works below to have for their very own department to beautify their workspace!
MEDITATION
10' X 13'
Erin Smith Glenn
Erin M. Smith Glenn is an associate professor of art, advisor of the Visual Arts Club, former VP of the Board for the Dayton Society of Artists, and proud alum of Central State University, the only HBCU in the Midwest and one of only 16 HBCUs nationwide with a fully accredited Fine Arts program. She holds a terminal degree of Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati with a concentration in 2D studio art, working in a variety of media and mixed media. Since 2009, Erin has exhibited works in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Vermont, Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois, including an internationally renowned exhibit in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as numerous solo exhibitions.
Among Erin’s lifelong pursuits is to continually practice her artwork and overall creative experiences, vowing never to stop “growing as an artist and individual”, while always striving to instill this concept in her students and her three children, Zion, Zachary and Zavier Glenn, as she does within herself. A major goal in her legacy is to greatly improve the involvement and status of people of color, especially Black women, throughout the art world, now and beyond her earthly presence.
For Julie, expression through art is like a heartfelt conversation with the world. “I find my muse in the sights, colors, and textures that surround me, aiming to encapsulate the profound values within each subject. It's an ongoing exploration where I play with colors and textures, seeking that perfect harmony that not only complements but tells a story of emotion, movement, and shape. Whether it's the dance of a palette knife or the deliberate strokes of a brush, every mark is intentional, a whisper of the emotions that course through me. Each piece is a sincere attempt to connect with the essence of my subjects, a genuine expression of what moves me.”
SUMMER GARDEN
24" X 24"
Julie Riley
Julie Riley is a full-time contemporary artist whose art studio is based in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions and her pieces are included in private and public collections nationally and internationally. She has won several awards and has been represented by art galleries throughout the Midwest.
tangled
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Lori Daugherty
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Dayton based abstract artist Lori Daugherty enjoys exploring and experimenting with the encaustic medium. She finds that the encaustic medium provides a wealth of depth, breadth, and texture, with an added twist of mystery. Lori’s studio, called “Darty Art,” is located at the Front Street Buildings in downtown Dayton. She shares the space with her husband and fellow artist, Jon Daugherty.
Armed with an arsenal of torches, hot plates, and air compressors, Lori melds intricate layers of color with encaustic wax paints,
inks, and shellac. She desires to take the viewer on an enchanted adventure while following the painting’s path, embracing the
lines, the shapes, the color, and the texture.
Artist Statement
When drawing, I have always had to eliminate my own preconceived notions and break down my own stereotypes to see the subject. I seek to break that down for the viewer. I intertwine the abstract and the figurative because the abstract gives voice to feelings, emotions, and modes and the body can embody these things. I scratch at the surface of things trying to bring out what is underneath. I use prompts like "showing the inner child" or the "wilderness of mirrors" to construct visual narratives. I’m inspired by human interaction and how it can both abstract and visceral. I work in acrylics and oil paint. I mainly create figures on an abstract field or a figure that has been abstracted in some way, or I will paint straight nonobjective abstraction. I make larger paintings because I think a person should have their visual field engulfed by the painting.
liam in the evening
18.5" x 23"
brian mathus
Brian grew up in Hampton, Virginia fascinated by watching his mother drawing and observing the chaos of her mark-making becoming people. At about age twelve, he had his first introduction to the art world and the drawing of figures. Brian attended a magnet art school in Beaverton, OR, and then the Pacific NW College of Art. He dove heavily into abstraction with acrylic paint and spent a lot of time in the art scene. Brian was a founding member of Rake Art Gallery and traveled to China as an exhibiting artist. Becoming a parent in 2008 brought his artistic life to a halt. He joined the Air National Guard and served for 10 years. In 2013, Brian and his family moved to Dayton and he started the formal study of Graphic Design, earning his degree. Bringing order to chaos, he began to love creating again and started painting seriously in 2017.
twisted
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Jon Daugherty
Dayton based creative Jon Daugherty has spent a lifetime turning creative solutions into a career. For nearly four decades, he has designed many of the products that you, your baby, or your dog may use every day. Using skills from the design trade, he likes to utilize his understanding of three-dimensional forms, various craft techniques with a range of materials, and the ability to communicate with illustrations. His work is varied, but with all of it he attempts to evoke a touch of emotion, a memory, or just a sideways smile based on whimsy. Jon is part of the "Darty Art" gallery which he shares with his wife, Lori, at Front Street Art District.
Jon's paper tube craft that exhibits his origami skills was picked up years ago up while he was working with a paper engineering group in Great Britain. He pulled from that experience during the COVID lockdown to master the little twisted characters. These whimsical little faces are simple forms with complex expressions that are relatable to all of us. Like us, they are rough around the edges, but together they are collectively beautiful.