Advertisement
The Dayton Society of Artists (DSA) is pleased to present MIDWEST AMERICANA, a regional call for lens-based artwork. Support for this exhibition is provided by FotoFocus.The American Midwest, a vast area ranging from Ohio to the Dakotas, is a region distinct from the rest of the United States. In a broad sense, the American Midwest is known for cornfields, state fairs, factory towns, and humble values. Too often, it is a region defined by what it lacks. Largely due to its geography vast plains and lack of coastline and mountains it is often dismissed as flyover country. However, the Midwest has a rich culture all its own. As a broad area of America, its large cities, small towns, and rural areas differ from the Southern states, the Eastern New England states, and the West in certain definable ways. It is an area with a distinctive culture, history, architecture, and industry. Beyond the stereotypical broad view, a closer look reveals that, though the Midwest has a certain cultural flavor, within that culture, much variety exists. This photographic exhibition seeks to explore the forgotten history of Midwest Americana. It includes, but goes beyond, a romantic view of rural farm life, small towns, and industry. It considers the realties of urban blight, poverty, and inequality while also celebrating the cultural and artistic diversity and accomplishments of this region through its cities, small towns, industry, rural areas, and people.
Juror: Francis Schanberger received his Master of Fine Arts from the Ohio State University in 2002. He has been an artist in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts (2005), Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts (2011) and Vermont Studio Center in 2013. He has exhibited at Soho Photo in New York, the Houston Center for Photography, the Free University of Brussels, as well as COHJU Gallery in Kyoto, Japan.
FotoFocus Biennial: The 2024 FotoFocus Biennial, now in its seventh iteration, activates over 100 projects at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio in September/October 2024. Each Biennial is structured around a unifying theme; for 2024 that theme, backstories, focuses on stories that are not evident at first glance. These stories offer context for what happened previously or out of view, providing narratives not yet told or presented from a new perspective. FotoFocus welcomes global artists, curators, critics, educators, and regional visitors to Cincinnati with exhibitions, talks, performances, screenings, and panel discussions during an expanded week of programming September 26-28, 2024.
Participating Artists:
Jerry Allison, Stephanie de la Rosa, Shannon Gallion, AJ Harris, Renee Hopson, Daniel Landis, Beth Larsen, Linda Madden, Kevin Marano, Melissa McWilliams, Jeremy Mudd, Kaylee Peters, Linda Phillips, Judd Plattenburg, Angela Reichelderfer, BJ Rose, Erin Rose, Danielle Schuster, Billy Simms, Jeff Smith, Bruce Soifer, Leah Stahl, Douglas Taylor, Katie Timko, Cliff Warnken, Susan Willin, Ronald Wilson, William Woody, Charles Wright
Image: AJ Harris, Self Portrait, $100
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
48 High St, Dayton, OH, United States, Ohio 45403
