Foster, 79, captures his unique experiences in watercolor diaries which he hopes will help others realize that “these places are worth taking care of.” His goal is “to draw attention to the unseen forces that create places and to encourage a sense of humility and responsibility for the planet.”
His nineteenth journey, “Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective” is the first of three traveling exhibits that will come to the Dayton Art Institute this year. The show, which opens Feb. 21, comes from the Foster Museum, a single-artist museum located in Palo Alto, California. The exhibit comes to Dayton from London, England.
When he’s not in a tent, Foster lives in the one-pub village of Cornwall in the southwest of England, United Kingdom. He’ll speak in Dayton in March.
Honoring black history
The second traveling exhibition, "Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice" will be in Dayton June 27–Sept. 13.
“Since most of the exhibit deals with American history, it made sense to bring it here over the fourth of July when the country is celebrating its 250th anniversary,” said the DAI’s head curator Jerry Smith. “Fans of history will recognize many of the people depicted in the paintings.”
This show reunites all of the paintings in William Johnson’s ”Fighters for Freedom" series created in the mid-1940s and on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The work honors African American activists, scientists, teachers and performers as well as international leaders working to bring peace to the world.
Some of the fighters — Marian Anderson, George Washington Carver, Mohandas Gandhi and Harriet Tubman—are familiar figures; others—Nannie Helen Burroughs and William Grant Still — are less well-known individuals whose achievements have been eclipsed over time.
Johnson celebrates their accomplishments even as he acknowledges the realities of racism, oppression and sometimes violence they faced and overcame.
“His paintings have a look and feel that suggest folk are but he was an accomplished painter,” said Smith. “This exhibit is both educational and charming.”
The modernist painter not only captures a likeness of his subjects, but their accomplishments.
“For example, the image of George Washington Carver shows Carver in his laboratory doing scientific experiments and also shows him shaking hands with President Roosevelt and working with a young student,” Smith said. “All of this on one canvas.”
The third traveling exhibit, “Wall Power! Spectacular Quilts from the American Folk Art Museum ” (Oct. 17-Jan. 10) will showcase 20 quilts created from the mid-19th to late-20th centuries. You’ll see striking examples by Amish communities, African American makers and others whose work laid the foundation for generations of quilt makers to come. In addition, a selection of American quilts from the DAI’s textile collection will be included.
Focus exhibits
In addition to those three major special exhibitions, the museum will continue to highlight pieces from its own collection in a number of themed focus exhibitions.
Among those will be three exhibits on feminist art, thanks to the generous donation of Cincinnatians Sara and Michelle Vance Waddell. (Feb. 7—Jan. 31) Their impressive collection of local, national and international art will be showcased in a new gallery devoted exclusively to their artwork.
“There will eventually be around 500 items and they will come to us over time,” said Smith. “We’ll also borrow things before they become part of the DAI’s collection. The first three exhibits will be on exploring feminism and we’ll be rotating them through the year.”
Additional Focus exhibitions will include:
- “Symbols of Hope: Eunshin Khang ” (March 14-June 7) highlights a Cincinnati artist who works in abstraction. The Korean-born American painter offers a personal vision of hope, peace and cross-cultural connection.
- “All the World’s a Stage” (May 16-Aug. 9) examines how visual art has captured performers and performance across cultures and history, from ancient rituals to modern performance.
- “Getting Technical: Alternative Photographic Processes” (July 18-Oct. 25) highlights photography’s experimental side, showcasing artists who push the medium through non-traditional and historical processes from wet-plate collodion and chemigrams to solarization. It’s a FotoFocus Biennial Exhibition
- “Looking for Japan: Early Japanese Photography” (Sept. 5-Nov 29) focuses on photography from Japan’s Meiji period (1868–1912) and features albums, postcards and hand-colored prints. It is also a 2026 FotoFocus Biennial exhibition.
- “Good Book: Bible Stories from the Collection” (Nov. 14-Feb 14) examines how artists have interpreted Biblical narratives to express devotion, commentary and creativity. Through paintings, prints, photographs and sculpture, the exhibition invites visitors to see “the old, old story” anew.
“The 2026 season reflects the breadth of what art can do, from documenting history, to sparking dialogue and helping us see our world, and ourselves, more clearly,” said Interim DAI Director & President Mark Shaker. “These exhibitions connect Dayton audiences with important work from across the country and around the globe while meaningfully engaging with the questions, experiences and communities shaping our world today.”
For more information and updates about both Special and Focus Exhibitions at the DAI, go to www.daytonartinstitute.org/exhibitions.
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