DECKED OUT! UPDATE: NEW ADDITIONS & YECK ARTIST-INRESIDENCE INSTALLATION See the newest additions to Decked Out! through April 12, when this well-adorned Experiencenter exhibition closes. Colorful textiles from Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Japan complement new hands-on activities, such as kimono design and braiding African bracelets. Intricate, half-scale costumes by D. Bartlett Blair, Professor of Theater and Costume Design at Wright State University, will embellish the space with replicas of garments from 1598 through 1905. After you see them, be sure to visit the permanent collection to look for similar fashion trends. These costumes join the installation of an art project made by 200 DECA PREP students, guided by 2014 Yeck Artist-in-Residence Deborah Brod. Her award-winning artwork incorporates recycled materials, textiles and innovative interpretations of adornment. Using plaster, fabric and repurposed materials, she guided the students in the creation of mixedmedia shoes and small objects that were combined into a colorful sculptural artwork.
PAM HOUK MAKES GIFT TO EXPERIENCENTER Pam Houk has a long history with The Dayton Art Institute. She and her mother both attended classes here, she lived next door to longtime DAI Directors Siegfried Weng and Thomas Colt Jr., her father served on the museum’s Board of Trustees, and she currently serves on the Board of Trustees. One of her lasting contributions was helping to establish the Experiencenter in 1976, a space that she oversaw for nearly 24 years. Art and museum education continue to be her dual passions, and she has made a significant gift to establish The Experiencenter Fund, which will help underwrite future Experiencenter exhibitions. We spoke with her recently about the Experiencenter and her gift. Tell us about the creation of the Experiencenter. It grew out of my involvement with the Living Arts Center Gallery, a learning environment in the form of a participatory exhibit space. The success of the hands-on gallery eventually caught the attention of then DAI Director Bruce Evans, who was looking for something to draw in new audiences. He asked if I would consider moving the idea of the Living Arts Center Gallery to The DAI. The Experiencenter’s major audience included not only children and teachers, but also artists, which was quite validating in a way.
Yeck Artist-in-Residence Deborah Brod, working with a DECA PREP student on the art project Flying Scarves, Fantasy Shoes, now on view as part of the Decked Out! exhibition in the Experiencenter.
EXPERIENCENTER SPONSORS Patron Sponsors The Frank M. Tait Foundation The William and Dorothy Yeck Family Foundation Supporting Sponsors DP&L Foundation Harry S. Price Jr. Family Fund of the Dayton Foundation Julian Lange Family Foundation LCNB SoBran Inc. Speedway LLC Barbara and Bill Zook Memorial Fund
What prompted your decision to make this gift to the Experiencenter? I want to see the Experiencenter concept continue. It’s gratifying that the museum has made the commitment to high-level education that includes a dedicated space for young visitors and their families. I believe that helping people of all ages make connections between art and their own lives, and involving them in meaningful and memorable activities, is one of the best ways to build the museum audience. I am confident that Susan Martis has the background to develop an Experiencenter program in an engaging, high-quality way. What do you hope the role of the Experiencenter will be in the coming years? I hope people will see the importance of museum education in fostering an understanding of the visual arts – that they
Dr. Susan Martis and Pam Houk in the Experiencenter.
will have an experience at the museum that encourages them to want to learn more or say “a-ha! I didn’t know that!” My hope is that the Experiencenter will motivate visitors to come back to the museum and further explore The DAI’s remarkable collections; that the Experiencenter and its related programs will excite visitors’ imaginations, and help them understand art as a universal visual language. 2015 EXPERIENCENTER EXHIBITION PREVIEW Dr. Susan Martis, Associate Curator of Education, is enthusiastic about these aims, expressing that when the Experiencenter originated, it was an innovative concept in art museum education. She’s motivated to continue this gallery’s role as a place to reinforce successful learning methods and to implement new ideas. The 2015 exhibition, opening in May, will feature the concept of sight, with a presentation of luminous, pulsating optical effects. Visitors will be able to observe and practice how artists use line and color to explore how we see, as well as how our eyes can be deceived. Prints, paintings, photographs and Native American textiles will demonstrate the illusions of Op Art, color mixing, perspective systems, and montage. Watch for more information in the next Member Magazine. In 2016, the Experiencenter celebrates its 40th anniversary! We’re interested in memories of exhibitions in this gallery that were particularly meaningful to you. Please send them to Susan Martis at smartis@daytonart.org.
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