Schuster Center Presents VISUAL VOICES Exhibit, 2/1-28

Victoria Theatre Association and EbonNia Gallery present the seventh annual Visual Voices art exhibit returning to the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, February 1 - 28, as part of the KeyBank African-American Arts Festival.
 
Victoria Theatre Association is once again collaborating with Willis "Bing" Davis of EbonNia Gallery, curator and a contributing artist for Visual Voices. Davis has served as an enriching influence both artistically and educationally in the city of Dayton. He also serves as a mentor to artists from his own EbonNia Gallery. Davis supports Visual Voices with his continued vision of assembling exhibitions that enhance public awareness and appreciation for the artistic contributions of Dayton's African-American citizens.
 
Visual Voices has returned to its Dayton Skyscrapers theme used in previous years to honor 11 local "skyscraper" artists.
 
"After taking a year off from the Dayton Skyscrapers' theme," Davis said. "The participating artists are sharing with the community another collection of outstanding individuals we call Dayton Skyscrapers, standing tall, giving back, and adding to the quality of life of our community."
 
Important leaders within Dayton's African-American community are honored in Dayton Skyscrapers IV, according to Ken Neufeld, President and CEO of Victoria Theatre Association.
 
"The exhibit showcases individuals from Dayton's past, such as Paul Laurence Dunbar and Dayton's first Black police officers to today's prominent figures in the community, Don and Donerik Black and Sherri "Sparkle" Williams," Neufeld said. "Victoria Theatre Association is proud to salute these community heroes, the artists who honor them and the impact their vision has on the entire Dayton region."
 
 
 
All artwork in the exhibit is created by African-American artists from the Dayton-area.  These artists strive to make the Miami Valley region one that flourishes with creativity. They replicate the African-American experience into various artistic mediums and styles.
 
On display from February 1 - 28, Visual Voices is free and open to the public and viewable when the Schuster Center is open. The exhibit is located in the Mead Theatre lobby at the Schuster Center, adjacent to the Wintergarden.
 
Featured in Exhibit:
 
Steel Waiting: James Parsons, Jr. - Collage - Willis "Bing" Davis
Three-of-a-Kind: Dayton's First Black Police Officers - Fiber-Metal-Wood - Frances Turner
Sheila Ramsey - Digital and Origami - Paula Ramey
Dr. Jerri McGill - Clay - Lois Fortson
W.S. McIntosh - Oil - Ronnie Williams
B. Cato Mayberry - Oil - Clifford Darrett
Commissioner Dean Lovelace - Oil - Clifford Darrett
In His Own Words: Paul Laurence Dunbar - Giclee' Print - William Pettiford
Don and Donerik Black - B/W Photos - Robert Parkey III
Julia Carr - Fiber - Thelma Patterson- P.O.R.
Dr. Joseph Lewis - Oil - Dwayne Daniel
Sheri Williams - Oil - James Pate
"Sparkle" - Charcoal - James Pate
 
 
Visual Voices is sponsored by The Dayton Power and Light Company Foundation. Visual Voices is part of Victoria Theatre Association's third African-American Arts Festival, which is sponsored by KeyBank.
 
For more information about Visual Voices and the African-American Arts Festival, visit www.victoriatheatre.com and click on "African-American Arts Festival."