Arts and Culture

There’s a new memorial mural for George Floyd in Yellow Springs. Artist Pierre Nagley tells WYSO’s Jason Reynolds he just had to document this moment in American history.

Nagley says he, like millions of others, was deeply impacted by watching the video of George Floyd being killed by a Minneapolis police officer.

“It seemed like he was pleading to his mother,” Nagley says. “There was a moment when he said, ‘They’re gonna kill me, momma,’ and it was heartbreaking.”

By now many of us have worked from home on Zoom. So what does that mean if you are a dancer in the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company? When Ohio shut down in March, DCDC choreographers and dancers created dance together through Zoom in their separate apartments-- as best they could.  David Seitz joined them online to learn about the process.

The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery reopens today for the first time since all museums and zoos in Ohio were closed because of the pandemic.

There will be new displays for guests and new rules for safety.

Boonshoft President and CEO Tracey Tomme says she was relieved when they got the okay to reopen.

“I thought we would be one of the last places to get to open because of our high touch areas,” she says.

She’s quick to note that the Boonshoft is a museum, science center, and zoo all rolled into one, and they usually have a lot of indoor play areas for kids.

Governor Mike DeWine has picked Kari Gunter-Seymour to be Ohio’s new poet laureate.

In the middle of a pandemic and nationwide protests, Kari Gunter-Seymour says poetry is more important than ever.

“When we write our truths, we bring things to light and create understanding. And from there we grow and find our way through these things that are so difficult for us right now,” she says.

And Ohio's new poet laureate won’t be resting on her laurels. Gunter-Seymour says she applied for the position because it would allow her to bring poetry to people in need.

Many movie theaters are still closed, but drive-in movie theaters are open and business is booming. WYSO’s Jason Reynolds reports.

Al Bell at the Dixie Twin Drive-In says that sometimes business could be “sleepy” before the pandemic, but now they’re super busy.

“We are going to have a very successful season,” Bell says. “At the same time, we’re going to serve the community and assist some charities in these unprecedented times.”

He says sales are up 50 percent, and the Dixie Twin is playing more than movies.

On Saturday, the Dayton Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists released a documentary about what it’s like to be a black man in America.

Statewide stay-at-home orders have been lifted but bans on large gatherings remain in place. That’s heavily impacting performance arts organizations that depend on large audiences and who have been closed now for months.

As organizations wait for a green light from Governor Mike DeWine to reopen, in the meantime, they’re finding other ways to serve their patrons.

The Opera Guild of Dayton has announced the winners of its Tri-State College Vocal Competition.

Lydia Grace Graham is from Danville, Kentucky, but these days, she’s studying at The Juilliard School.

Graham says her second-place prize money will go to Juilliard, too. Tuition is not cheap. One way she’s supported herself is through a fellowship that pays her to perform at nursing homes and psychiatric wards in New York City.

On Thursday night, a team of University of Dayton filmmakers released a new short documentary examining the city’s response to the 2019 Memorial Day Tornadoes, and the mass shooting that occurred in the Oregon District.

More than 150 people logged onto Zoom to watch the world premiere of “Dayton’s Darkest Summer”.

The media production students who produced this 15 minute documentary interviewed Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, first responders, and victims of the two tragedies.

University of Dayton basketball star Trey Landers has become a symbol of Dayton’s resilience.

When he was a child, his father was killed in a shooting on Salem Avenue. Last summer, he was in the Oregon District and ran for his life when a mass shooter opened fire. But this past Saturday, he played in front of thousands of cheering fans during UD’s last home game, completing a remarkable regular season.