Community Calendar

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.

Every Thursday night at Whisperz Speakeasy, we will be crafting a variety of fabulous martinis for just $10 each. Come have a few, this will be your favorite way to try something new and flavorful! The menu will rotate from time to time, but our attention to detail for the perfect handcrafted martinis never will! Check the calendar to see who is playing alongside our weekday specials. We have free live music five nights a week. Our martini menu is below, and our in-depth menu is linked here. We hope to see you soon!

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

Notations from Home and The North Fork are part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View. The FotoFocus Biennial, now in its eighth iteration, activates over 70 exhibitions at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Northern Kentucky in October 2026. Each Biennial is structured around a unifying theme; the 2026 theme, The Long View, considers aspects of time and perspective in photography and film, and how these mediums shape our understanding of the world. FotoFocus welcomes global artists, curators, critics, educators, and visitors to Cincinnati with exhibitions, talks, performances, screenings, and panel discussions during its Biennial Opening Events, October, 1–3, 2026.

Amanda Bradley’s Notations from Home uses photography and the camera as a tool for note-taking and relationship building. The images make visible notions of home across geographies and time.

In The North Fork, Trent Davis Bailey takes a long view of family farms on the Western Slope of Colorado. His work investigates how people interact with the land, and the exhibition couples those moments with archival images that explore the history of that land and invites viewers to consider the present moment within a longer historical framework.

A reception will be held on October 17th from 5pm-6pm with an artist talk by Trent Davis Bailey at 5:30pm. Amanda Bradley will be giving a virtual artist talk on October 6 from 12-1pm. In addition to the reception and talks, Trent Davis Bailey will be leading a narrative photobook workshop on October 17th, while Amanda Bradley will be providing a guided reflection and print takeaway, with a limited quantity available to visitors to the Gallery.

The exhibitions will be on display in the Kettering Health Art Gallery at Rosewood Arts Center from September 28 to November 7, 2026.

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.

Step into the Home Expo for hands-on demonstrations, expert advice, and exclusive offers to elevate your home. Free admission for all. Show hours: Friday: 12:00pm–6:00pm Saturday: 10:00am–5:00pm Sunday: 11:00am–4:00pm Why you’ll love it: - Show-only savings from local experts - Live demos - Giveaways and prizes - Meet contractors, designers, and remodelers in one place Interested in exhibiting? Call 319-666-4663.

Experience the Heart of Dayton's Art Scene

Explore 150+ artists, studios, vintage vendors, food trucks, and more at Front Street's First Friday Hart Hop and Saturday open studios

On the first Friday of every month, Front Street's artists and artisans join together and invite you to hop around Dayton's largest hub of studios, galleries, shops, and boutiques. Explore, create, and shop while enjoying live music and hot food! Monthly Art Hops at Front Street are always free to attend. We offer free, lit parking on and around our campus. We are a family and pet-friendly community!

Let the rhythms lift your feet and your spirits! Join us on first Fridays to dance, socialize, or just sit and listen to some of the best bands and callers in the region. No experience is necessary, all ages are welcome and you don’t need to bring a partner. The caller teaches all dances before they start. Live music at every dance. 
7:00 PM – Free lesson, all encouraged to come early
7:30 – 10:30 PM – Contra dancing

Band - Trillium plays music for Contradance and English Country Dance on traditional instruments: fiddle, acoustic piano. Most of the tunes they play are traditional, as well, and are played in multiple folk music worlds, such as Bluegrass, Old-Time, English Country Dance, Celtic, French Canadian. https://www.trilliumcontradanceband.com/home
Caller - Margaret Ann Goodman brings her great knowledge of teaching to the dance floor. She has a great repertoire of dances that she uses to pick the right dance for the right moment.

What is contra dancing?  Taken from https://www.sccdc.org/resources/what-is-contra-dancing/ which has more details and videos
Contra dancing is done in long lines of dancers rather than in groups of four couples forming a square. Many of the terms and movements are the same in both contra and square dancing, so if you remember anything from school or previous dancing, you’re already halfway there!
And don’t be surprised if a contra dance caller includes a square dance or two during the evening—sometimes we mix things up!
The footwork in contra dancing is very simple. Most of the time, you’re simply walking to the music, with a few easy steps and movements added along the way. The caller teaches each dance as you go, so you don’t need to know the dances ahead of time.