The institute, at 43 S. Main St, Miamisburg, is a nonprofit art center founded by Jess McMillan. The center features a main gallery, adult and teen class rooms, a walk-in studio and personal artist studios on the 3rd floor.
With the help of local artists and the other members of the community, McMillan has embarked on a series of community art projects with the goal of donating the finished works to local businesses and organizations. Those who volunteer their time toward the completion of these projects will be given free instruction.
The first of these finished works was donated to Club Impact, a youth enrichment program that is held in the former Miamisburg Youth Center facility at 224 Maple Ave.
A project currently in the works is an art nouveau style mural of a female Viking, which is being painted on the side of the Gwinner Building at the corner of Main and Central St.
This creation is a collaborative effort between McMillan and local mural painter Jennifer Sayger as well as other volunteers. Sayger, owner of Murage Studios, provides mural designs and commissioned fine art to local homes and businesses throughout the Dayton area.
The idea for the mural’s subject was inspired by the Miamisburg High School mascot.
“When we started painting her it was interesting because women and girls would stop by and thank us because they now had a female representation of the mascot,” said McMillan.
She went on to explain that the boys’ sports teams had the male Viking logo on their uniforms and the girls just had an “M” on their uniforms.
The latest community project will be a large glass mosaic that will be donated to the American Legion. The project is slated to begin Labor Day weekend and anyone who wishes to volunteer their time as well as learn something new is welcome. McMillan said no artistic experience is necessary to participate.
Those wishing to be a part of the project can contact the institute at 937-248-7400 or stop by during open hours, which are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday or 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday.
For more information on the Mosaic Institute of Greater Dayton and what it has to offer, go online to www.mosaicinstituteofgreaterdayton.org/ or see its page on Facebook.
The institute will also be having two art shows on Oct. 1, and Nov. 12 will have an Americana show featuring visual art, performance art and at least two bands. Both shows begin at 7 p.m. and are $10 for adults and free for anyone age 16 and younger.
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