EPIC Art Inspires

03/03/2026

Photos 3/3
By Scotty D Photography
Scott L. Davis

03/03/2026

Photos 2/3
By Scotty D Photography
Scott L. Davis

03/03/2026

Thank you to Everyone who participated in this year's Symposium! You made "Process, Passion, Purpose: Dayton Art and Design Symposium" a success! Thank you to ScottyD Photography for the great photos!

Photos 1/3
Scott L. Davis

02/20/2026

Final Schedule

7:30 am
Doors Open

8:00 am - 8:25 am
Check-in/Registration in the Arts Center Hall
Coffee/Breakfast in the Arts Center Hall
Organ Music in Schuster Hall

8:25 am - 8:30 am: Introduction - Schuster Hall
Steven Aldredge - Chair, WSU School of Fine And Performing Arts

8:30 am - 8:50 am: Opening Remarks - Schuster Hall
Dr. Dan Zehringer - Director of Engagement, WSU

9:00 am - 9:50: Panel - Schuster Hall
The Art of Access: Removing Barriers and Expanding Creative Opportunity
Curtis Bowman (Moderator) - Director of Engagement, Culture Works
Tamiko Stump - Interim Director, Dayton Society of Artists,
Shayna McConville - Division Manager of Cultural Arts, City of Kettering
Lisa Wagner -Executive Director, Levitt Pavilion

9:00 am - 9:50 am: Presentation - Stein Galleries
Lynette Lombart Art Tour (50-person limit)
Jeremy Long - Associate Professor, WSU
Glen Cebulash - Professor of Art, WSU

10:00 am - 10:50 am: Panel - Schuster Hall
Creative Intelligence: How AI is Redefining the Arts
Tracy Longley-Cook (Moderator) - Associate Professor, WSU
Marcella Hackbardt: Professor of Studio Art, Kenyon College
Colleen Kelsey: Instructional Designer, Sinclair Community College
Alan Knowles: Instructor of Writing, WSU

10:00 am - 10:50 am: Presentation - Recital Hall
Art Representation & Democracy
Jessimi Jones - Executive Director, SMOA

11:00 am - 11:50 am: Presentation - Schuster Hall
A Case for Art
Jenny Michael - Owner, Co-CEO, Ohlmann Group
David Bowman - Co-CEO, Ohlmann Group

11:00 am - 11:50 am: Presentation - Recital Hall
Everyone Deserves Beauty: Art in our Community Health Center
Kim Bramlage - Curator, Five Rivers Health Centers

12:00 pm-12:50 pm: Lunch - 2nd Floor

1:00 pm -1:50 pm Panel - Schuster Hall
Waxing Poetic: The Encaustic Process
Curtis Bowman (Host) - Director of Engagement, Culture Works
Kate Huser Santucci - Encaustic Artist
Jen Perkins - Encaustic Artist
Chris Rankin - Encaustic Artist

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm: Presentation - Recital Hall
The Ties That Bind: Motherhood, Matrilineal Connections, and Materials
Heather Jones - Fiber Artist, Curator at The Contemporary Dayton

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm: Panel - Schuster Hall
Public Broadcasting: Moving Forward
Debi Chess (Moderator) - Director, Dayton Metro Library
Shaun Yu - CEO, Discover Classical
Luke Dennis - GM & President, WYSO
Kitty Lensman - President and CEO, Think TV

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm: Presentation - Recital Hall
Marketing Your Art Without Losing Your Voice
Emily Stamas - Global Marketing Manager, Henny Penny

3:00 pm - 3:10 pm: Poem - Schuster Hall
Sierra Leone - Dayton’s Poet Laureate

3:10 pm - 4:10 pm: Keynote - Schuster Hall
Willis “Bing” Davis - Artist, Educator & Community Activist

4:10 pm - 4:35 pm: Closing Remarks - Schuster Hall
Dr. David Stark - Manager, Artspace Hamilton Lofts
Dr. Susan Edwards - Wright State University President

4:40 pm - 6:00 pm: Reception - Stein Galleries
Jazz Trio, charcuterie & cash bar

02/20/2026

We’re ready! Can’t wait to see everyone today!

02/18/2026

The EPIC Team has been hard at work getting everything ready for the Process, Passion, Purpose: Dayton Art & Design Symposium, and we’re so excited to welcome you! 🎨✨🎙️

Please be sure to say hello or introduce yourself when you arrive — it’s our incredible guests who truly make this event so special. 😊

Here’s to a day filled with inspiration, creativity, and connection.
It’s going to be EPIC! 🎨✨🎙️

📷📷📷
Back Row, Left to Right: Dana, Gary, Rodney, Curtis, Rich, Jon, Dan & Dave
Front Row, Left to Right: Evelyn, Lori and Tracy
Sadly, we were missing Susan, but she’ll be the woman with the lunches. 😊

02/18/2026

What to Expect at This Year’s Dayton Art & Design Symposium at WSU
Dayton Daily News | by Hannah Kasper

EPIC Inspires, a grassroots initiative launched by community members with a passion for the arts, will soon conduct its second Dayton Art and Design Symposium at Wright State University Creative Arts Center.

02/10/2026

Last Week to Get Your Tickets! 🎟️✨

Process, Passion, Purpose: Dayton Art & Design Symposium is almost here — and this is your final chance to grab tickets online. Join us for a full day of inspiring presentations, engaging panel discussions, and meaningful conversations with an incredible lineup of regional artists, designers, and creative leaders.
Connect, learn, and be inspired by the presenters and panelists who are shaping Dayton’s creative community and beyond. This is more than a symposium — it’s a day of creative energy, fresh ideas, and real connection.

Online ticket sales END on Sunday February 15th at 11:59 PM
Don’t miss your chance to be part of it.

Ticket Info:
🎟️ General Admission: $100
🎓 Student: $25

See the Eventbrite link for more information, including the full presenter and panelist lineup, and to secure your seat. 🎨

Tickets may still be purchased in person at the check-in table on February 20 for $110 + tax (credit card only) or $30 + tax for students; however, lunch will not be guaranteed for day-of purchases.

📍Location:
Wright State University Creative Arts Center
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton, Ohio 45435-0001

Secure your seat now and join us for an unforgettable day of art, design, and inspiration in Dayton. 🎨

You’re invited to an inspiring day of powerful sessions, bold ideas, and dynamic conversations celebrating the impact of art and design.

02/10/2026

Willis “Bing” Davis
Keynote Speaker

Willis “Bing” Davis (b. June 30, 1937) is a cultural leader, artist, educator, and curator. Born in Greer, South Carolina and raised on Dayton’s East Side, he graduated from Wilbur Wright High School (1955) and DePauw University (1959), later earning a Master of Education from Miami University (1967) and completing graduate studies at Indiana University (1975–76). Davis taught art in Dayton, served as assistant dean and Black Studies coordinator at DePauw, and became associate professor and assistant dean at Miami University. He chaired Central State University’s Art Department and directed the Paul Robeson Cultural Center.

His work has been exhibited internationally, and he has received numerous honors, including Ohio Art Educator of the Year (1997). He founded EbonNia Gallery in Dayton.

02/10/2026

Dr. David Stark
Closing Remarks

Dr. David Stark has served as Director of Operations and Programming at Artspace Hamilton Lofts since February 2018. Originally from Nashville, he is a former high school All State and collegiate All American basketball player who insists height helped. He earned three master’s degrees simultaneously, including Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University, and holds a PhD from the University of Manchester.

Passionate about the arts, though not an artist himself, he is Founder and Director of The Strauss Gallery, known for lively, standing room only events. Deeply involved in Hamilton civic life, he serves numerous boards and initiatives and was named Hamilton Citizen of the Year in 2025.