Artists on Art

The Dayton Visual Arts Center is documenting the accomplishments of elders in the Miami Valley's visual arts community. Artists on Art, an oral history project begun in 2003 by The Artists Organization in Columbus, Ohio, is intended to become a comprehensive source of specific information about Ohio artists. We partner with the Ohio Historical Society, which will enlarge its existing collection of art-related materials by archiving both the site and associated materials.

With the help of ImageWerx and Think TV, DVAC has captured three artists’ decades of experience, community memories and art accomplishments on video and audio tape, as well as in text and still images. During 2007, we completed segments on Willis ‘Bing’ Davis and Jud Yalkut. We are currently completing a segment with Ray Must.

The project allows us to collect specific information about influences, methods, materials, and attitudes of artists in the Dayton Region. These facets are of particular interest to curators and collectors, while the inclusion of educational, personal and geographical background information is of regional and sociological importance to an even wider audience.

Pam Houk, a consultant in museum education, exhibit design and planning, and the founding director of the Living Arts Center Gallery, the Dayton Art Institute's Experiencenter and the Dayton Visual Arts Center, is our interviewer. She collects biographical information, artist statements and still images, and conducts 60+ minutes of live interview within each artist's own environment.