Dayton Metro Library: Art Exhibits Symbolize Importance Of Undesign The Redline

Press release from the Dayton Metro Library:

Christy Lynne Trotter, Content Writer

August 10, 2021

In the Neighborhood

In 2019, photographer Bill Franz set out on a mission to post at least one photo taken in each of the 66 Dayton neighborhoods to his Facebook page. As he watched the Dayton community rally in response to the Memorial Day tornadoes and the Oregon District shooting, he decided to focus more on people in the community versus landscapes and buildings. Now his photos, which focus on “people from every corner of Dayton,” are on display at the Library.

African American Visual Artist Guild (AAVAG) Exhibit –Gallery Area, Second Floor

The AAVAG has been an advocate for African American artists in Dayton and surrounding areas since 1995. Membership includes professional artists, patrons and hobbyists of the arts, and others in the community who share a commitment to the organization’s goals.

The AAVAG’s exhibit, titled Boundaries and Bridges, presents artwork by ten different AAVAG members, in the way of painting, photography, bas-relief, paper, and textile collage.

Bridges Collaborative Art Installation – Opportunity Space @ St. Clair, First Floor

Leesa Haapapuro guides this temporary, collaborative art installation, which includes panels created by community members, and has been made possible with a grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, with support from Culture Works. Bridges symbolizes what connects people and closes divides. The panels that the public created has filigree borders, which mirror the design of Dayton’s Third Street Bridge that crosses the Great Miami River. The river once divided East and West Dayton, but now the bridge is a strong symbol connecting Dayton as a whole.

Undesign the Redline will be on display at the Main Library, 215 E. Third Street, until September 25. It examines the origins and lasting effects of redlining - a practice which embedded segregation and inequality into the development of American cities and suburbs.

In addition to Undesign the Redline and the companion art exhibits, the Library will also host a variety of virtual programs. For additional information, visit DaytonMetroLibrary.org/Undesign-the-Redline or contact the Library’s Ask Me Line at 937.463.2665.

This press release was produced by the Dayton Metro Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.