Community Calendar

Rosewood Arts Center’s Community Gallery will feature three Rosewood faculty artist’s work this fall in a group exhibit: INSPIRE. The exhibition highlights the work of Heather Ballard, Eli Flannagan and Nicole Reading who teach photography, screen-printing and watercolor respectively.

Heather Ballard will be exhibiting her photographic work which utilizes the cyanotype process. Her work is a fleeting portrait of our natural surroundings and touches on elements of chance and control. Eli Flannagan’s meticulous pen and ink drawings are inspired by surrealism. Inward looking and metaphoric, Flannagan’s drawings illustrate societal pressures and expectations. Nicole Reading’s work represents the natural world through abstraction, distortion, and accuracy. She explores the relationship between collecting and categorizing objects with their display for scientific purposes.

The Contemporary Dayton is proud to present Stacy Kranitz: Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down, the culmination of a landmark multi-year project that challenges long-held stereotypes of Appalachia by Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer Stacy Kranitz.

Featuring more than 40 photographs drawn from historical archives, Kranitz’s own images, historical texts, installations, and an accompanying film, the exhibition examines how Appalachia has been represented—and misrepresented—across generations. Together, these works reveal a region shaped by myth, exploitation, resilience, and the uneasy tension between representation and reality.

The exhibition’s title references the gospel song “Ain’t No Grave,” made famous by Johnny Cash, evoking the resilience and resistance that run throughout the project. Recipient of the prestigious Images Vevey Book Award, Kranitz has published a companion monograph, available for purchase in The Contemporary Dayton’s CoSHOP.

Born in Kentucky and based in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee, Kranitz is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship, among many other awards. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and is held in numerous public collections.

Stacy Kranitz: Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down is part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View. Now in its eighth iteration, the Biennial activates over 70 exhibitions at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Northern Kentucky.

The Contemporary Dayton is proud to present Ella Kraimer: Appearances, a world-premiere exhibition of large-scale photographs. Kraimer transforms herself into a cast of fictional personas through striking self-portraits, using secondhand garments gathered from thrift stores across the country. Layered with irony, humor, and cultural critique, she explores the blurred boundaries between authenticity and performance, memory and invention, self and society.

Previously viewed only as a digital project, Appearances reflects on life in an age of social media, image culture, and spectacle. Inspired by childhood memories of paper dolls, Kraimer fragments and reconstructs her own likeness through costume, collage, and assemblage. At once playful and provocative, Appearances invites viewers to reconsider not only the images we create, but the stories they tell about who we are.

Kraimer spent her formative years in Berlin, Germany and is now based in New Bremen, Ohio. She earned a BA in Design and Visual Communication from the University of Europe for Applied Sciences, Berlin, and an MA in Visual and Media Anthropology from HMKW University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication, and Management, Berlin.

Ella Kraimer: Appearances is part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View. Now in its eighth iteration, the Biennial activates over 70 exhibitions at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Northern Kentucky.

Crafty Meetup is bring your own project crafting event and social time. This is a no cost, everyone is welcome event held on the last Sunday of the month from 1-4. Just show up with your project and enjoy a few hours of creativity while making some new friends.

Can you help save Fairborn, Ohio from the zombie apocalypse?
Join Run Ohio Races for a four-race, flag football-style zombie series at Fairborn Community Park. Choose a 5K or 10K, wear a flag football belt and protect your flags as you travel through designated infected zones. Zombies will remain inside the infected zones and attempt to steal your flags as you pass.
Finish with all your flags to survive! Lose a flag and you have been infected—but you can still finish the race and earn your medal. Runners and walkers of all paces are welcome, and flag belts will be provided.
Each race features a different mission:
September 27: Deliver the Emergency Message
October 3: Recover the Missing Ingredient
October 17: Secure the Blood Supply
October 24: Transport the Cure
The 5K includes three laps and six passes through the infected zone, while the 10K includes six laps and twelve infected-zone encounters.
Register for one mission or complete the entire series. Fairborn’s survival depends on you!

The Village of Yellow Springs Public Arts & Culture Commission — in partnership with The Yellow Springs Community Foundation and the The Beloved Community Project — proudly presents Revival: A Celebration of American Music, September 25–27, as part of the Village's America 250 celebration.

In the spirit of Help Us Make A Nation (HUMAN) and the AACW Blues Fest, Revival honors arguably our nation's greatest cultural exports by celebrating the diverse musical traditions that have shaped America's story, bringing people together through live music, culture, and shared history.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

FULL SCHEDULE

Friday, September 25

5:00 PM: arrival and gathering
5:30 PM: Joseph Zavaan Johnson presentation
6:30 PM: intermission
6:45 PM: Joseph Zavaan Johnson banjo performance
7:45 PM: Q&A

Saturday, September 26

3:00 PM: Phil's Big Ass Brass Band
4:00 PM: Eric Henry Band
5:00 PM: Sharon Lane and Danny Sauers
6:00 PM: MoJo Power
7:00 PM: Tony Huston and Prime Time Blues Band w/ Snapper Mitchum
8:00 PM: Georgia Anne Muldrow

Sunday, September 27

3:00 PM: Open Mic
4:00 PM: Geoff Hohwald
5:00 PM: Mark Babb
6:00 PM: George Byrd

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate the official launch of Jazz Forward Dayton, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to sustaining and advancing jazz through performance, education, and community connection.

Founded by vocalist Kelli Campbell, Jazz Forward Dayton builds upon eight years of bringing musicians and audiences together through the monthly Jazz Jam. This special event marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter dedicated to creating opportunities for musicians to learn, perform, and connect while enriching Dayton's cultural landscape.

The evening promises exceptional performances featuring renowned guest trumpeter Ashlin Parker. Attendees can look forward to collaborations with talented artists such as pianist Keigo Hirakawa, bassist George DeLancy, and drummer Reggie Jackson, along with the University of Dayton jazz band. Additionally, there will be opportunities to learn more about Jazz Forward Dayton's vision for the future.

Take part in a self-guided geocache-style passport adventure to explore 12 meaningful locations across Kettering, each connected to an America 250 Ohio monthly theme. Pick-up a passport at select locations to get started!

More information and passport locations are at http://www.ketteringoh.org/america-250-kettering-passport

Looking for a fun and unique autumn activity? Then come to our Pumpkin Blow! With help from our professional glassblowers, you can blow your own pumpkin from hot molten glass. Everyone 5 years and older can participate, making this a perfect activity you can enjoy with your family. Don't miss your chance to experience the wonder that is glass art this holiday season with your loved ones!

Rosewood Arts Center’s Community Gallery will feature three Rosewood faculty artist’s work this fall in a group exhibit: INSPIRE. The exhibition highlights the work of Heather Ballard, Eli Flannagan and Nicole Reading who teach photography, screen-printing and watercolor respectively.

Heather Ballard will be exhibiting her photographic work which utilizes the cyanotype process. Her work is a fleeting portrait of our natural surroundings and touches on elements of chance and control. Eli Flannagan’s meticulous pen and ink drawings are inspired by surrealism. Inward looking and metaphoric, Flannagan’s drawings illustrate societal pressures and expectations. Nicole Reading’s work represents the natural world through abstraction, distortion, and accuracy. She explores the relationship between collecting and categorizing objects with their display for scientific purposes.