Dayton Visual Arts Center


Dayton Visual Arts Center is a group of artists and art lovers who believe that a vital visuals arts community is essential to the life of the community in Dayton, Ohio. The center offers art-gallery talks, art exhibitions, professional development workshops and other programs that support contemporary visual art.

The Gallery

After being founded in 1991, DVAC's gallery in downtown Dayton continues to present a full schedule of contemporary art exhibitions each year that are free to the public. There are usually 12 to 18 exhibitions. Some exhibitions include the annual Open Members' Show, the ARTtoBUY Holiday Gift Gallery, and a preview exhibition leading up to DVAC's annual art auction fundraiser.

Noteworthy People

Jane Black took over as DVAC's executive director in 2003 and currently oversees a staff of three, including Patrick Mauk, an Ohioan printmaker who has taught at four-year universities in the area such as University of Dayton and Wright State University and Janelle Young, an Ohioan photographer and printmaker.
Notable artist members of DVAC are Jud Yalkut, an internationally-known pioneer in the field of video art and Bing Davis. In 2006, acclaimed sculptor, Jun Kaneko, presented his redesign for the opera Madame Butterfly in the gallery.
A 2009 exhibit included work by Curtis Mann, a 2010 Whitney Biennial participant and in 2010 the "REACH Across Dayton" exhibit included work by Cuban born artist Eduardo de Soignie and a public art installation by Juan-Si Gonzalez. A 2017 exhibit includes works by artist Glen Cebulash, professor and Art Department Chair at Wright State University.

Publications