K12 Allows Us to Return to Our Roots

I challenge each of you to put down your laptop, iPad or smart phone at least once this week … and make something with your hands. Think back to elementary school when, if you were lucky, you went to art class and made paintings, chalk rubbings, little clay pots, crepe paper turkeys and paper mache globes — you created art. And you loved it.

But somewhere along the lines you grew up, shifted your focus and started paying less attention to your creative side. You put down the glue stick, hung up your smock, and joined the rat race, forgetting how much you enjoyed making stuff out of clay.

Since you might be one of those people who have forgotten the joy in creating art and the stress relief that comes from allowing your creative side to come out and play, let me refresh your memory. There is something calming and therapeutic about getting busier with our hands and less busy with our brains, and there is a fantastic place right here in Dayton that allows kids — and “kids” of all ages — to do just that.  It’s called the K12 Gallery.

Simply put, K12 is not your average art gallery. Founder and former art teacher, Jerri Stanard, started the K12 Gallery for Young People in 1993 after realizing a deep desire to provide all children access to art, the freedom to express themselves creatively, and the opportunity to connect with the community. “We wanted to give people from all areas a connection to the urban core, especially children. Children who grow up knowing and respecting people in the inner city want to be more involved in making the city a better place,” says Stanard.

Born in a tiny space in the Oregon District, the vision grew steadily, and in 2004 K12 moved to its current Third Street location, which includes art studios and an elementary classroom. Stanard explains, “We had a vision at K12 … we wanted it to be bigger. We took a risk and moved into the Cannery — we breathed life into that space.” In early 2010, K12 celebrated the addition of the TEJAS (Teen Education Joint Adult Studio), an adjoining gallery used for exhibits, special events and adult art classes. According to K12 Education Consultant Carolyn Wheeler, “The gallery is designed to serve the public as an inspirational space for visual art, and allow children and adults alike to feel comfortable and inspired to make art.”

K12 offers both group and private art classes for pre-school, home-schooled and elementary children. Beginning this summer, K12 will offer week long Summer Camp sessions for school-aged children that will run June 11 – August 10. And for those who consider themselves “kids at heart,” K12 provides adults and teens a break from the daily routine with evening pottery and painting classes, as well as Saturday art classes.

Stanard emphasizes that K12 isn’t merely an art studio. They are also involved in numerous community projects. One project, known as HAALO (Helping Adolescents Achieve Long Term Objectives), is a partnership between K12 and the juvenile court system that allows young people who are on probation to work with K12 advisors on long-term public art projects. The group is currently working on a series of large paintings inspired by Claude Monet, contributing to the Great Masters’ Paintings series, which can be viewed at the corner of Sears and East Third Street.

Other K12 projects that can be spotted throughout the city include a 7-panel mosaic that will soon be hanging near the Corner Cupboard on Xenia Avenue, and a large mosaic sun created by artist Jessica McMillan that will be installed at the Hospice Center of Dayton on April 30.

K12 spreads art and artists alike throughout the community. Through their artist placement program, K12 assists local artists in getting involved in teaching opportunities throughout the region’s schools. The gallery is also available to school systems that want to show their students’ work in the K12 space. Stanard explains, “We want to be a place where people can make art freely and feel connected to the community in a variety of ways.”

Steeped in a genuine dedication to the community, K12 strives to make art available to everyone. They continue to work with schools, the city, the courts and a network of local artists in order to touch as many lives as possible, increase community involvement and make art more accessible across the board. Stanard emphasizes, “We don’t deny anyone access to art, regardless of their financial standing. We have scholarships and passes — anyone who wants to take the studio classes can do so. We find a way to get them in. The classes are full of people from different places at all times. We provide the right framework and expertise to help everyone feel creative and be creative — regardless of their background.”

As K12 reminds us, there is nothing quite like art to encourage people to get in touch with their creative side, each other and their community. Stanard states, “Anyone can be an artist. Anyone can be a creative thinker. We see an artist in everyone we meet.”

Take the opportunity this week to put down your cell phone, turn off the television and spend some time with your creative side, exploring some of the classes and opportunities K12 has to offer. I think you’ll be glad you did.

(For more information on art classes and community opportunities, visit www.k12gallery.com.)

Reach DCP freelance writer Annie Bowers at AnnieBowers@DaytonCityPaper.com.

updayton’s “Stay in Dayton” Mission Continues

by Annie Bowers

Where will you be on Friday, April 27th? Are you interested in attracting and retaining creative talent in the Dayton Region? If so, join close to 200 fellow Daytonians and community partners at the Dayton Art Institute for the 2012 updayton Summit.

The 2012 Summit, an annual event created by updayton, will focus on four key areas of community interest: Diversity, Alternative Transportation, Neighborhoods and Urban Vibrancy. Summit attendees will brainstorm ideas for new projects in each of the four categories with the collective goal of attracting — and keeping — young creatives within the region. Updayton Executive Director, Yvette Kelly-Fields states, “If we can get them here and involved, they’re more likely to stay in the region and continue to help it grow creatively.”

Updayton, the non-profit organization responsible for hosting the Summit, began as an initiative of DaytonCREATE 2008, a project formed under the direction of several companies that shared mutual concerns about the “brain drain” in the Dayton Region. The team selected 32 members of the community to act as catalysts and challenged them to develop initiatives geared toward making Dayton an attractive creative city. Two of these initiatives blossomed into unique stand-alone non-profit organizations: Film Dayton and updayton. The focus of the latter was to unite a group of young professionals and community members who shared a passion for local revitalization and a commitment to promoting their region as a vibrant place to live, work, learn and play.

Kelly-Fields further explains, “Updayton connects networks, challenges the status quo and inspires all people who believe in Dayton to roll-up their sleeves to help the community. Our efforts haven’t revitalized Dayton overnight, nor were they expected to, but they’ve shaken the ground in other ways. We’ve stopped waiting for someone else to do what we know needs to be done.”

In 2009, updayton hosted its first Summit, which drew interest from citizens across the region and rejuvenated the notion of developing Dayton into a vital creative community — and year after year, the Summit provides specific plans on how exactly to accomplish that goal.

One such plan, Welcome to Dayton, was a Summit Diversity project that aimed to connect native Dayton families with immigrant families in order to help immigrants become more acclimated to the area. The group also compiled an official “Welcome to Dayton” packet that will be available in all Dayton Metro libraries beginning May first.

In addition, the implementation of First Friday Scavenger Hunts began in 2011, encouraging people from outside the city to venture downtown to experience the energy of First Fridays and see what the city has to offer by way of galleries, shops and restaurants.

Under the Neighborhoods heading, the 2011 Summit identified the Warren/Brown Street area as a neighborhood with tremendous potential to attract young creative professionals. Kelly-Fields explains, “We saw it as a neighborhood on the rise, and asked ourselves, how we could make this area more interesting and attractive?” From these efforts, the Bridge Project was born: updayton asked local artists to submit designs for consideration, and on May 5 the winning design (chosen by public vote) will be painted on the Route 35 pedestrian overpass bridge.

Finally, under the 2011 Jobs category, the Dayton Interns project outlined a plan to create an online portal that would allow businesses to post a single listing for internships, which could then be communicated to eight different university partners with the click of a button. Students could view the listings through their university’s career services site. The result? Student interns and local employers were easily matched up, without having to sift through openings on multiple sites.

This year’s Summit will focus on the following areas:

Alternative Transportation: to promote bikes, bussing and walking as forms of transportation.

Diversity: to encourage Dayton Metro Libraries to embrace diversity by building library resources to reflect the growing immigrant population.

Urban Vibrancy: to promote Dayton as a destination spot among college students, urging them to become more involved with the downtown area for more than just special events.

Neighborhoods: to work with East End Community Center in the Twin Towers neighborhood to implement strategies that will help encourage people to move there.

After a day of brainstorming, the energy and excitement will continue to build at the After Party at the CADC’s new location in St. Clair Lofts, featuring DJ Ruckus Roboticus, food, wine and Buckeye vodka. In addition, ten swag bags will be given away featuring goodies from local merchants, including a DAI membership, tickets to the Dayton Film Festival, and Sidebar, Ghostlight Coffee and South Park Tavern gift certificates. One lucky swag bag winner will also receive a key that provides the use of a Bob Ross Motors 2012 Fiat for an entire weekend. The event will wind to a close at the After After Party at Sidebar, which includes a $5 breakfast from 10p.m. – 2a.m.

(Ticket prices for the 2012 Summit at the Dayton Art Institute are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and $5 for college students. For more information and to register in advance, please visit www.updayton.com/summit or call 937.974.1920.)

Reach DCP freelance writer Annie Bowers at AnnieBowers@DaytonCityPaper.com.

Michael Bashaw, Sō Percussion and DECA Students Collaborate for One-of-a-kind Performance

By Tim Anderl

Walking through the dusty hallways of the a former sewing machine factory, the more than a century old building where Michael Bashaw keeps his studio, it is difficult to imagine the wondrously inventive sculptures, installations, collaborations and music that have taken place here.

For those unfamiliar with Bashaw, he is perhaps one of Dayton’s most rare artistic and musical treasures, if not one of the most inventive musical geniuses of our time.  He began his career in 1972 where he taught at the Living Arts Center in Dayton.  During the early days of his career he incorporated a wide variety of media into his work, including film, musical instruments, spoken word, poetry and more.  And many of his career highlights have followed the path of incorporating music and visual art.  Not only is Bashaw a gifted sculptor who turns trash heap treasures into incredible sculpted spectacles, but he is also a prodigious musician.

Emerging from the dusty hallway into Bashaw’s sun-lit studio, which offers a stunning view of the Dayton skyline, dozens of incredible creations reveal themselves.  And on these creations, Bashaw performs expert feats of musicianship.  He and his massive, hand-built sound sculptures have travelled to numerous performing arts venues across the United States and Europe.  He has performed alongside the Dayton Philharmonic and the Sarajevo Philharmonic orchestras and he has written soundtracks for film and television, with collaborators including his wife Sandy and his ensemble, Puzzle of Light. They have performed in venues all over the U.S.

Not only is Bashaw talented artistically, but he also has a gift for sparking the creativity of students in and outside of the classroom.  Like a multimedia Willy Wonka, Bashaw has provided golden tickets to his imaginative, artistic and musical world to at-risk students, and students from Dayton’s Muse Machine and Dayton Art Institute programs in the past.  More recently, he’s been involved a collaboration with high school students from Dayton Early College Academy and Brooklyn’s Sō Percussion.

Sponsored by the University of Dayton’s College of Arts and Sciences and in honor of the Arts Series 50th Anniversary, the collaboration involves art education and culminates in a public concert at the Dayton Art Institute on Thursday, April 12.

“The project that Eileen (Carr) has been organizing for us, which she’s sort of co-producing with DECA, is a show we’ll be playing in that cool gallery space at the Dayton Art Institute,” said Josh Quillen, a member of Sō Percussion.  “We will be playing a piece called “Drumming, Part 1,” as well as some original music.  Then we’ll also be collaborating with Michael and the DECA students on some pieces for that show as well.”

Since 1999, the quartet consisting of Quillen, Eric Beach, Adam Sliwinski and Jason Treuting (three of whom are from Ohio) have created experimental original music and performed all over the world, including concerts at Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and have gone on tours in the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia and more.  In addition, the group has become increasingly involved in mentoring young artists.  In 2010 they created the Sō Percussion Summer Institute on the campus of Princeton University to offer a two-week chamber music seminar for college-age percussionists, and in 2011 they became co-directors of a percussion department at Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Quillen said, “The lynch pin of this whole thing has really been Michael.  Not only is he just an awesome guy in general to hang out with and know, but he’s also an amazing craftsman.  While we are bringing a lot of our own equipment, he’s built these incredible instruments out of huge pieces of metal and we’ll be using this opportunity to play whatever instruments he’s able to bring.  Working in his studio, with these grandiose and wonderful instruments, has been like walking into a playground for both Sō Percussion and the students involved.”

Earlier this year Sō Percussion and Bashaw conducted an introductory session at DECA to practice deep listening skills in an open-ended free-form session.  In February, Sō Percussion returned for two days of sessions during which the students practiced improvising and learned about dynamics and polyrhythms.  In March, Bashaw conducted additional sessions with the students in his studio.

“Though not all of the students are trained musicians, all of them have played like they are,” beamed Bashaw.

“There were a lot of students who came from musical families and had more musical backgrounds than from what I came from,” added Quillen.  “They all sort of had their own take on music and what it means to them, and we saw their skills develop incredibly over the course of a few days improvising with each other.  The way they approached the instruments and attacked them without bringing any sort of musical baggage to the table was really fun to watch and reminded us of why we’re doing this.”

About a month after the performance at Dayton Art Institute Michael Bashaw heads to Columbus on May 9 to receive the 2012 Governor’s Individual Artist Award during a formal awards ceremony and luncheon.

“I’m honored and a little nervous because I have to give a short speech,” admitted Bashaw.  “The good thing has been that it has caused me to reflect a lot and think about all the other artists and students that I’ve had an opportunity to work with.  They have taught me so much and, for me, that’s what it has been about.”

(The concert takes place at the Dayton Art Institute on Thursday, April 12. General admission for the collaborative performance is $15, tickets for DAI members and UD alumni, faculty and staff are $10 and student tickets are $5. Purchase your tickets through the UD Box Office in the KU lobby or call 937-229-2545.)

Reach DCP freelance writer Tim Anderl at TimAnderl@DaytonCityPaper.com.

Save a Bunny, Buy a Toy

By Natasha Habib

With their little twitching noses, big ears and soft fur, cute rabbits can be irresistible to the eyes and arms of children wanting to snuggle the timid, fluffy creatures. If you’re thinking all you need are carrots and a cage for a short-lived pet though, beware — there is probably more to rabbits than you think.

Those balls of fluff you purchase at the pet store actually have the life span of a large dog, living on average eight to ten years, sometimes longer, said Debbie Braunschweiger, rabbit volunteer at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. Often, new rabbit owners have little education on their new pets and don’t realize that within a few months, the bunnies will grow and their personalities will change.

In fact, rabbits need to be spayed and neutered, which will cut down on aggression (like charging or biting), risk of uterine cancer in females and the spraying of urine by males, said Steve Carman, president of the Dayton Area Rabbit Network (DARN), a nonprofit organization focusing on rabbit education and outreach.

Another thing many impulsive bunny-buyers don’t consider is the cost of veterinarian bills. Rabbits are considered exotic pets, and there are only a handful of exotic vets in the area.

“Every time I go to the vet for most medical things, it’s almost $200,” said Carman, who cares for about 20 surrendered DARN rabbits. And if you don’t adopt your rabbit from the Humane Society (for a fee of only $45) where they’ve already been spayed or neutered, factor in $400 for females and between $250 and $350 for males, said Braunschweiger, unless you can wait for the mobile Rascal Unit to visit the Humane Society. Based in the Columbus area, Rascal will spay and neuter Ohio pets at a highly discounted rate — just $52 per rabbit. (Yes, the Humane Society charges you less for a rabbit than it costs them to spay or neuter it.)

Owners who aren’t aware of the cost and care involved with rabbits are why just a few months after Easter, the influx starts: thousands of rabbits are relinquished to shelters, or worse, let loose — a death sentence. The Humane Society is currently at full capacity, with 12 rabbits in the building and a few others being fostered. Sadly, there is a waiting list of owners trying to surrender theirs.

“This isn’t even the busy season, but we’ve already got about 19 bunnies on the waiting list now. And about three months after Easter, it’ll double,” said Braunschweiger.

Something else new owners may not be aware of is that rabbits need interaction and exercise, so you can’t just keep them in a cage all the time, and you definitely should not keep them in outdoor hutches. Outside, rabbits are very sensitive to temperature, they can pick up diseases and they can literally be scared to death by predators.

“Either bring them inside or don’t have them,” said Carman.

Inside, rabbits will naturally use a litter box and can be allowed to roam rabbit-proofed areas of the home. If they’re kept in pens or large cages, they still need to get out and exercise.

“They need attention, they’re very social creatures,” said Braunschweiger, who is also a member of the House Rabbit Society. “Just putting them in a cage is not good for you or them, there’s no point in it.” If you don’t have enough time to interact with your bun, you can get it a friend, but they need to have bonding dates first.

“Once they do bond, they bond for life,” said Braunschweiger.  “They become like BFFs [best friends forever], and if something were to happen to one or the other, they grieve very much like humans do.” Because rabbits can die from depression, bonded pairs should not be separated. If ones passes away, its friend should be given time with the body.

“Sometimes they’ll nudge it, sometimes they’ll groom it, sometimes they’ll just lie with it,” she said. “But eventually then they’ll walk away, within a few hours usually. That allows them to realize that their partner’s not coming back … it’s heart-wrenching to watch.”

In addition to exercise and companionship, rabbits need toys, especially ones to chew. They can also be trained. Rabbit agility courses are actually somewhat popular in Europe.

“Rabbits are smarter than people think,” said Carman.

“They make wonderful pets,” said Braunschweiger. “You just need to know what you’re getting into. And if you’re ok with that, you’ll have years of enjoyment with them.” If you’re sure a rabbit is right for you, it is much more cost effective to adopt from the Humane Society.

“Plus, you’re not supporting a bunny mill,” said Carman.

If you’re not sure you can make the commitment, however, consider an alternative Easter gift.

“We don’t like the idea of rabbits being associated with Easter — not live rabbits,” said Carman of DARN members and rabbit-lovers. “Cartoon rabbits, chocolate rabbits, stuffed rabbits — we’re right there with ya.  It’s just, you know, this is a living creature.”

(For more information visit Dayton Area Rabbit Network (DARN) online at daytonrabbit.org and on Facebook or email: welovebunnies@daytonrabbit.org. Visit the Humane Society of Greater Dayton online at www.humanesocietydayton.org and on Facebook or call (937) 268-PETS (7387) Check out the House Rabbit Society online at www.rabbit.org and makeminechocolate.org)

Reach DCP freelance writer Natasha Habib at NatashaHabib@DaytonCityPaper.com