Name: Opening Reception: Maria Ann McGinnis in the Project Space
Start: 2026-06-12T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-06-12T20:00:00-04:00
Location: 48 High St, Dayton, OH, United States, Ohio 45403

Opening Reception: Maria Ann McGinnis in the Project Space

Iron Portraits: A Solo Exhibition by Maria Ann McGinnis
The Dayton Society of Artists is pleased to present Iron Portraits, a solo exhibition by Maria Ann McGinnis, on view in the Members Space from June 12–July 3, 2026.
Running concurrently with Future of Female, this exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to experience a body of work rooted in resilience, transformation, and personal reflection.
Opening Reception
📅 Friday, June 12, 2026
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Dayton Society of Artists
48 High Street, Dayton, Ohio
🎟️ Free and open to the public
🥂 Light refreshments will be provided.
Exhibition Dates
📅 June 12 – July 3, 2026
Details: https://daytondsa.org/event-6717335
About the Artist
Maria Ann McGinnis has worked in painting, watercolor, and printmaking for more than 30 years and spent many years teaching art in Dayton Public Schools. Throughout her career, she has explored figurative work, still life, and landscape painting. In recent years, her focus has shifted toward abstracted imagery inspired by automotive engines—a subject that has become both deeply personal and endlessly rich in creative possibilities.
About the Exhibition
Beginning in 2018, Iron Portraits grew from the idea of repair during times of adversity—whether in a mechanical engine or within the human spirit. By transforming the gray, industrial components of engines into vibrant and expressive compositions, McGinnis draws connections between mechanical restoration and human resilience.
Created through years marked by personal and collective challenges, these paintings became a space for experimentation and renewal. Working in watercolor, acrylic, and oil, McGinnis explores texture, structure, and color while reimagining engine parts as portraits of endurance and transformation.
Through this series, the engine becomes both subject and metaphor, suggesting that just as machines can be repaired and restored, people possess an innate capacity to heal, adapt, and move forward. Visitors are invited to reflect on the strength found within themselves and the transformative power of creativity in times of uncertainty.