University of Dayton’s Index Gallery presents new work by Ashley Jude Jonas
Credit: Clarissa Rose Peppers
Credit: Clarissa Rose Peppers
Did you know there is a gallery inside the Dayton Arcade? Located within The Hub, across Main Street from the Levitt Pavilion, Index Gallery presents contemporary art shows.
“missing mo(u)rnings”, by artist, writer, and Blue House Arts co-founder Ashley Jude Jonas, runs through April 10.
A tribute to Jonas’ late father and the “unconventional way he lived”, the objects in the show are imbued with a sense of wonder — combining photographs and porcelain ceramics with various ephemera — seedpods, shells, apothecary jars, the artist’s teeth. The objects carry the essence of a child’s collected treasures.
Jonas’ father, though he didn’t consider himself an artist, lived in Key West in a home that drew creative types, artists always walking in and out. Many of the objects on display were collected by Jonas from his house.
One altar-like display holds glass jars containing the artist’s umbilical cord — preserved by her father. This, combined with a lock of her hair, reference the ancient custom of collecting bodily items in lockets known as momento mori — a reminder of the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life. The work asks for stillness and reflection.
The assemblages also have a charming Joseph Cornell feel — that’s the outsider artist who elevated the shadowbox to the realm of art.
Ethereal in texture and color, one has the feel of walking through a living collage.
How to go: University of Dayton INDEX Gallery at The Hub 31 S Main, Dayton. Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Fridays 8-5 p.m. Street parking available. Paid parking garage available at the Reibold Building at 14 W 4th St.
Ed Dixon Gallery shows posthumous photography of Marianist Brother
Through April 12 is a posthumous exhibit of the nature photography of Brother John Lemker.
Lemker, who studied and taught physics, was inspired to start photography when he traveled to Arizona, Colorado, and Utah to study geology on a National Science Foundation grant in 1970. Awed by the color, rock formations, and desert beauty, he began his “serious quest to capture the beauty on film.”
A lifelong Marianist, he showed his nature photography regularly at Gallery Saint John in Beavercreek. The non-profit gallery was managed by the Marianists from 1989 to 2024. It featured several annual exhibits by Society of Mary members.
“From mountains to mushrooms I find awesome beauty and, through my images, I try to share this beauty and the contemplative mood it nourishes,” he said.
“I have used my images of this beauty both for scientific purposes and as inspiration for prayer and reflection.”
Lemker considered his work a form of prayer.
How to go: Nature Photography of Bro. John Lemker, Edward A. Dixon Gallery, 222 N St Clair St. Dayton. Noon-5 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; 3 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Through April 12.
Dayton Art Institute
On view at the DAI through May 17 is “Tony Foster, Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective.”
Between 2007 and 2025, Tony Foster painted “the forces that shape our world — from fleeting light and weather to vast geological and biological transformation.”
His watercolor paintings reveal signs of change on multiple fronts, including geological upheavals, biological cycles, and the marks left by human activity.
Through visual diaries, Foster seeks to reveal both the vulnerability and resiliency of landscapes, and the imprint on them of human presence.
How to go: The Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton, Wednesday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday: Noon – 5 p.m., Thursday Extended Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
The DAI will partner with The Neon for a special screening of Tony Foster: Painting at the Edge, a documentary by David C. Schendel, on April 15 at 7:30 p.m. The Neon is located at 130 E. 5th St in Dayton. Tickets are $12.50. DAI members get free popcorn when they show their DAI membership card. All ages.
Dayton Society of Artists
There’s about a week left to catch Tipp City-based photographer Edd McGatha. The self-described street photographer completed a picture-a-day project in 2024, a leap year containing an extra day. The photos focus on Tipp City and Dayton, as well as New York City.
More than 10,000 images, and many stories, were captured during the project.
How to go: Noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, or by appointment at info@daytondsa.org. Through April 3 at the Dayton Society of Artists, 48 High Street, Dayton. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit daytondsa.org.
Stivers School for the Arts puts on a photography fundraiser
“My students email photographers from all around the world to solicit print donations and we end up getting between 150-200 prints for this one-night show,” said Leah Stahl, Director of Photographic Studies at Stivers.
Donations include well known photographers like William Wegman, portraits of performers including Neil Patrick Harris, and nature art photography.
Plan your bid by checking out the photos on Instagram at @stivers_photo_auction.
How to go: Stivers School for the Arts, Fifth Street Gallery, 1313 E. 5th St. Dayton, Friday, April 17, 6-9 p.m.
About the Author
