Friday, March 28, 2014

SWAN Day Dayton is Saturday March 29th at 2pm!

 
 
SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now Day) is an international celebration of women artists. Join us Saturday March 29th at 2pm at to celebrate the day at the Dayton Metro Library and enjoy the work of local women artists who will be sharing their poetry, prose, music, short films and more.  Karen Righter will present her short play, Obedience. Author Christine Dull will read excerpts from Soviet Laughter, Soviet Tears: an American couple's six-month adventure in a Ukrainian village. Doramae O'Kelley will present her book Courageous Optimism: Montgomery Co., Ohio and the Pursuit of Votes for Women.  Donna Vance will share her autobiography From "Travisty" Comes Majesty. Linda Marshall will read from Sophia's Table: Women's Wisdom in Five Voices. Author and illustrator Laura Ceville will debut her children’s picture book My Dog, Jack, just released by Gypsy Publications. SWAN poets include Sierra Leone, Elizabeth Schmidt, Lena Marie Arnold, Sue Iwinski and Veronica Davis. Rani Crowe’s short film Estragon's Boot and Megan Hague’s Women Who Yell will be screened. SWAN Day Dayton also features performances by dancer Cassandra O and musician Page Beller from Jasper the Colosul and Page and the Bellairs.


 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Save the Date! SWAN Day Dayton 2014 is Saturday March 29th at 2pm


It is with heavy hearts that producers and SWAN Day Dayton founders Stacey Lane and Dara Cosby must step down from their positions due to family obligations and time constraints.  However, we are delighted to announce that Joy Schwab and the Dayton Metro Library will take the reins as SWAN Day Dayton’s producer. Mark your calendars for Saturday March 29th at 2pm to continue the tradition of celebrating Ohio women artists.
 
 

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Thanks for an amazing SWAN Day!



Our gratitude goes out to the artists and audience who made SWAN Day Dayton 2013 such a hit. Ohio is bursting with vibrant female artists.
 
 
 


Thursday, February 28, 2013

SWAN Day Dayton: FREE Event on March 30th at 2pm at the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch


Building off of the success of last year’s inaugural standing-room only event, SWAN Day Dayton 2013 will be held on Saturday March 30th at 2pm at the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch Auditorium at 215 E. Third St.  Join artists and community members in a celebration of Ohio female artists. The showcase is free and includes films, poetry, plays, music, dance, short stories, visual arts and door prizes.
Featured artists include photographer Bonnie Adams Brestelli, filmmakers Ursula, Gabrielle, Jennifer, Charity, and Maria Burton of Fiver Sisters Productions, R&B singer and songwriter Adriane Caffey, poet Elizabeth Cantonwine Schmidt, actor Daniel Cermak, collage and mixed media artist Laura Ceville, actor Whitney Davis,  filmmaker Rani Deighe Crowe, theatre director and actor Andy Falter, actor Dan Foley, illustrator Sarah Fortener, spoken word artist and rapper Kim Gerhold, color pencil artist Janyce Denise Glasper, theatre director Daniel Grigg, portrait artist Terri Melia Hamlin, actor Elizabeth Harelik, author Sandra J. Kachurek, singer and songwriter Marianne Kelser, Kilbourne Drama Club members Mason Althouse, Jocelyn Decker, Sophie Decker, Camryn Johnson, Adi Kinzer, Leah Kinzer, Audrey MacKenzie, Sabrina Ramsey and Meghan Weinle, Knotwork Flutes flautists Jessica Arriola, Diane Stroud and Barb Tucker, surreal self-portrait photographer Ellie Lane,  playwright Stacey Lane, painter Crystal Leisure, singer, songwriter and guitarist Talianna LeVangie, sketch comedy filmmaker Alex Mangen, dancer and choreographer Crystal Michelle, painter Heather Lea Reid, filmmaker Eric Risher, poet and author Maranda Russell,  poet Claudia Skutar, filmmaker Alex Taylor, actor Jocelyn Tanis, mixed media artist Karen Webb  and actor Jacob Wright.
SWAN Day Dayton is produced by Dara Cosby and Stacey Lane and is co-sponsored by the Dayton Metro Library and Joy Schwab. This event is part of an international celebration of women artists taking place on the last Saturday of Women’s History Month. There have been over 900 SWAN Day events in 23 countries in the first five years of SWAN Day.
 
ARTIST BIOS
 
Bonnie Adams Brestelli (Europe: Black and White Photography)
A Dayton area native, Bonnie has lived in Ohio, Kansas, and Germany. She has studied Art, Art History, and Museum Studies at University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College, Kansas State University, and University of Oklahoma.  Her photographs and frames showcase the beauty that surrounds us and encourages us to take a moment from the toils of life and see that there is still beauty in this world. www.bonniebrestelli.photography.com
Mason Althouse (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)
Mason is an eighth grader at Kilbourne Middle School.  Mason’s stage roles include parts in The Odyssey, 54 People ‘LIKE’ This, and FLASHBACK!  He served as student director for the 2012-13 KMS season and enjoys reading and playing the trumpet.

Jessica Arriola (Flutezalad Suite: Music)

Jessica Arriola has played the flute for many musicals in the last seven years. She is a member of the Richmond Community Orchestra, the Eaton Community Band and Knotwork Flute Trio.

Charity Burton (The Happiest Day of His Life: Film)
Charity Burton splits her time between teaching in L.A. city schools and producing all “Five Sisters Productions” commercials, corporate creative workshops and films.  She studied dance, theater and anthropology/sociology at Denison University. She’s performed in numerous productions and she wrote, produced, directed, and performed in the play Venus on the Halfshell. Charity studied Bhratan Natyum dance in Malaysia while teaching at an Indian orphanage in Kuala Lumpur.  She also organized and taught Americorps literacy programs. www.fivesisters.com
Gabrielle C. Burton (The Happiest Day of His Life: Film)
Gabrielle C. Burton is a writer/director/actor. Currently she is directing Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, a documentary on drag queens and kings in Columbus. She won a Rotary Scholarship to study film in France. A Harvard/Radcliffe graduate, she was awarded summa cum laude for her creative writing thesis.  She was a guest at the Columbus Arts Festival. She was named 2013 recipient of the Ohio Arts Council's Individual Excellence Award for 'outstanding accomplishment in media arts.' www.fivesisters.com
Jennifer Burton (The Happiest Day of His Life: Film)
Jennifer Burton is a film and commercial producer and professor at Tufts University. She wrote, directed, and acted in Harvard/Radcliffe’s first performance thesis. She completed her Ph.D. at Harvard in English and American Literature. She received a Mellon Grant for her dissertation on hope in American film and theater of the 1920s. She was awarded a Luce Fellowship to study Japanese Theater in Tokyo.  She is a Harvard Du Bois Fellow and a published author. www.fivesisters.com
Maria Burton (The Happiest Day of His Life: Film)
Maria Burton helms the film company Five Sister Productions. She has directed documentaries as well as commercials, PSAs and feature films. Maria also produced The Happiest Day of His Life and Letting Go of God. Graduating from Yale with a degree in theater and filmmaking, Maria produced, performed in, and/or directed numerous theater shows. Maria is Co-Chair of the Board of The Alliance of Women Directors and on the Board of Global Girl Media. www.fivesisters.com
Ursula Burton (The Happiest Day of His Life: Film)
Ursula Burton wrote, directed and acted in The Happiest Day of His Life which won a Viewer's Choice Award on MTV's LOGO Channel and qualified for the Academy Awards.  Acting credits include The Office, The War at Home, The West Wing, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Two Broke Girls, Grey’s Anatomy, The Young and the Restless, BBC’s My Family and others. Ursula graduated from Yale with honors. She’s currently writing a fairytale feature. www.fivesisters.com
Adriane Caffey (Me and U: Music)
Adriane Caffey is 22 years old.  She has been singing since she was six and began recording music at eighteen. Adriane has performed in front of a lot of crowds and has the passion to take it further in the future. She love music: it’s a part of her. She hangs on to her love for music because it is always with her.
Elizabeth Cantonwine Schmidt (Musing Edward Weston and Say You Will: Poetry)
Elizabeth Cantonwine Schmidt is the author of the chapbook, For Gretel.  Her poetry has been published locally in Mock Turtle Zine and can also be heard on WYSO's poetry program Conrad's Corner. As a reference librarian at Wright Memorial Public Library, she coordinates Wright Library Poets and posts poetry trivia every April (www.wrightlibrary.org). She lives with her husband and four children in Kettering.
Daniel Cermak (Alien to Antiquity: Play)
Daniel is a senior at Thomas Worthington High School. He has been in theatre for six years and has loved all of the friends he’s made and opportunities he has been given. He plays percussion in concert and marching band and is a varsity tennis player. Roles include: Rick in The Nerd and the donut in Stacey Lane’s Stalemate, performed at last year’s SWAN festival.   He plans to attend the University of Akron next fall.
Laura Ceville (Let Your Creativity Take Flight: Mixed Media Art)
Laura Ceville is a proud Air Force veteran, an aspiring children's author and illustrator, and word lover (yes, she loves words!). Some of her life goals include having a children’s book on the market that she has both written and illustrated and owning estates in Ohio, Colorado, and Texas. Laura enjoys inspiring the uninspired, exploring the outdoors with her husband, writing, drawing, and loving on her two mischievous dogs—Jack and Deuce. http://www.facebook.com/CevilleDesigns
Dara Cosby (Co-Producer)

Dara Cosby is a graduate of Wright State University’s Motion Picture program.  She has written reviews for film and television. Some recent work has been as a casting assistant on the feature film, True Nature and script supervisor for FreshMouth 2020 and the web series, Freak Club. Dara has also obtained a master’s degree in Community Counseling from University of Dayton, in hopes to use film and media to help others.

Whitney Davis (Door Prize Coordinator, Pet Names: Play)

Whitney Davis is a 2012 Lake Forest College Graduate with a B.A. in Theater. She appeared in Snow White and the Paramedic as Snow White, The Vagina Monologues as The Flood, The House of Benarda Alba as Prudencia, Splendor in the Grass as Angelina, Fiddler on the Roof as Yente and more. Prior to college, she attended Stivers School for the Arts and is happy to be back in the Dayton area.

Jocelyn Decker (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Jocelyn is a ninth grader at Thomas Worthington High School.  She co-wrote and performed in Gossip Squirrels, which premiered at last year’s Dayton SWAN festival. Jocelyn has received the Patriots’ Pen award for writing skills and is currently writing her first novel.

Sophie Decker (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Sophie is a seventh grader at Kilbourne Middle School. She has been in FLASHBACK! and The Music Man Jr. She also performed in Gossip Squirrels and Stacey Lane’s Stalemate, both performed at last year’s Dayton SWAN festival. She enjoys horseback riding and reading in her free time.

Rani Deighe Crowe (Beautiful Eyes: Film)

Actor, writer, director from Dayton, Ohio area, Rani is discovering new performance and storytelling space in film.  Recent work the Spoon River Saga for the public art installation, The Telephone Booth Project, performing her Julia Child character in nontraditional venues directing the Kurt Vonnegut text of Igor Stravinksy's A Soldier's Tale in collaboration with Columbus Symphony musicians, collaborating with choreographer Melissa Heston on Les Jeux D'Amour for Contemporary Dance Theater's Choreographers Without Companies in Cincinnati. http://beautifuleyesfilm.blogspot.com/

Andy Falter (Flashback to Girl Scouts, Alien to Antiquity: Plays)

Andy is a longtime actor and director based in Columbus, Ohio.  He has been seen on stages and screens throughout the United States. This school year marks his thirteenth year teaching theatre in Worthington City Schools.  He is thrilled to work again with his friend, Stacey Lane.  He is particularly excited to feature current and alumni members from Kilbourne Middle School in Dayton's celebration of SWAN.

Five Sisters Productions (The Happiest Day of His Life: Film)

Five Sisters Productions is a film company run by the Burton sisters. Their award-winning films have played on Starz, Showtime, AMC, WE Channel, MTV and Netflix. They also make PSAs and social issue-related commercials. Their current film in production is Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, a feature-length documentary on the fluidity of gender identity as seen through the window of drag queens and kings in Columbus, Ohio. www.fivesisters.com

Dan Foley (Pet Names: Play)

Dan Foley began his career in the community theatre at age 6. His earlier work included Our Town, The Wiz and South Pacific. Once out of high school he dabbled in film, guest staring on WB’s Blue Collar T.V. and landing a role in School Daze, a mini-series shot in Beijing. He studied theatre at Sinclair and Saginaw Valley State and is currently in his senior year of a Film Degree at Full Sail University.

Sarah Fortener (Meka: Gouache, Colored Pencil, and Ink Pen Illustration)

A recent graduate of the University of Dayton, with a BFA degree, her concentrations are in painting, drawing, and illustration. www.sarahfortener.wix.com/flyerswork

Kim Gerhold (I Came to Be and Rise: Spoken Word and Rap Music)

Kim has been writing and performing positive socially conscious rap and spoken word for over 8 years and is working on her second CD.   Kim had 3 songs nominated for positive music awards in 2011, winning an award in social justice. Kim has one song published in a 2009 songbook. Using life experience and a passion for creating change, her goal is to touch the spirit, bring people together and promote positive action and change.

Janyce Denise Glasper (To Relax Or Not To Relax: Colored Pencil Drawing)

Janyce Denise Glasper, graduate of Colonel White High School for the Arts and the Art Academy of Cincinnati (BFA emphasis in drawing), is a freelance artist, writer, poet, feminist, and vegan blogger creating enthralling pieces of stylized, figurative portraiture primarily in oil pastels, acrylic paints, colored pencil, and litho crayon that insert and beautify the absent African American aesthetic into sensual romanticist themes incited from stimulating historical romance novel reading and afternoon soap opera dalliances.

Terri Melia Hamlin (Luminous, Moody and Sleepyhead: Colored Pencil Paintings)

Terri Melia Hamlin believes that God gives each of us a gift. She has been blessed with talent for art. She tries to honor this gift with the art that she does. Motherhood has also been such a blessing, so she combines the two, into statements on the beauty and wonder of childhood. Commercial work and portraits have been a part of her resume, which she enjoys as well. www.meliaarts.com

Elizabeth Harelik (Alien to Antiquity: Play)

Elizabeth is a first-year PhD student in the Ohio State Department of Theatre.  She is originally from Wilmette, Illinois, and received a BA from Tufts University in Drama and English.  She has been involved in many shows in Wilmette, Boston, and Columbus both on and offstage, and is incredibly excited to be involved with SWAN this year!

Camryn Johnson (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Camryn is an eighth grader at Kilbourne Middle School.  Camryn was featured as Miss Hannigan in Annie, Rumpelstiltskin in Rumpelstiltskin, and various roles in FLASHBACK! She enjoys lacrosse and spends entirely too much time shopping online.

Sandra J. Kachurek (In a Swirl of Lights: Short Story)                     

Two biographies, Francisco Pizarro and George W. Bush, published in 2004 for elementary and middle school students marked her entry into professional writing.  Kachurek earned third place in the Antioch Writers' Workshop/Dayton Daily News Short Story Contest in 2011. The first chapter of her mermaid novel was a finalist for SWAN Day last year. She belongs to WriteShop, a professional science fiction/fantasy writers' group in Columbus. http://sandrakachurek.wordpress.com/

Marianne Kesler (Pear in the Pink Thing: Pre-show, Intermission and Post-show Music)

Marianne is an acoustic singer-songwriter and performer currently in a season of writing ... both songs, and free verse poetry/prose! She is working on the third of a book trilogy ~ the say something series ~ that features one word titles and her own photography alongside each of 15 pieces per book. Books can be ordered through www.blurb.com, and her music is available online at www.cdbaby.com and www.itunes.com. www.mariannekesler.com

Adi Kinzer (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Adi is a ninth grader at Thomas Worthington High School.  She co-wrote and performed in Gossip Squirrels, which premiered at last year’s Dayton SWAN festival.  She is also in concert and marching band.

Leah Kinzer (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Leah is a seventh grader at Kilbourne Middle School.  She was featured in FLASHBACK! and High School Musical.  Leah has participated in Broadway2LA’s summer camps and classes. She plays saxophone and was “Flag Holder Number Four” in her first grade opera.

Knotwork Flutes (Flutezalad Suite: Music)

Knotwork Flutes was founded in 2002 with 25 members. The group played at venues including Central Ohio Flute Association Conventions at OSU, Preble County Historical Society, Wright Dunbar Historic District, Ohio Statehouse, Greene County Pioneer Festival, Preble County Pork Festival, local churches and festivals. In 2010, the group downsized. Now Knotwork Flutes performs with 4 of the original members.  They specialize in Celtic, Christian, Pops and Folk music.

Ellie Lane (In This Haze of Green and Gold and Other Works:  Surreal Self-Portrait Photography)

Ellie Lane is a native Daytonian who began pursuing photography in early 2012, after modeling for a year. Her specialty is emotive self-portrait photography, but she has recently begun to photograph local and traveling models. Between chasing her darling niece and serving her three mischievous cats, Ellie is currently embarking upon a 52-week self-portrait project.  www.facebook.com/ellielaneimagery

Stacey Lane (Producer, Cold, Pet Names, Alien to Antiquity: Plays)

Lane’s plays have been seen at 300 theatres in the U.S., Canada, England, Australia, and New Zealand and are published with Dramatic Publishing, Eldridge, Playscripts Inc., Pioneer, Smith and Kraus, Heuer, Brookyln Publishers, Next Stage Press, Manhattan Theatre Source, JAC Publishing, San Luis Obispo Little Theatre, Sterling, Freshwater, Poydras Review, the Quotable, Indian Ink, Steel Bananas and Scene4.  She’s received grants from the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation. www.StaceyLaneInk.com

Crystal Leisure (The Abdominal Snowman and The Ghost Birthday: Acrylic Painting)

Crystal Leisure is a well-known low brow artist from the Dayton area that focuses on illustration. She started drawing at age two. Continuing to grow and work diligently with colored pencil, chalk pastel and ink. At fifteen she attended the Dayton Art Institute where she painted and discovered a love for acrylic. She’s created album covers and custom work for private collectors. Her work can be viewed on her blog and art page. www.crystalleisureart.carbonmade.com www.crystalleisureart.blogspot.com

Talianna LeVangie (On Me: Music)

Talianna LeVangie is a 14-year-old singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio.  She picked up her first guitar when she was 10, and with her grandmother's mentoring, played the Middletown, Ohio Blues & Bike Festival just 1 week later. Since then, Talianna is almost never without a pick in her hand and a pencil and notebook. She is currently working on original songs for her debut CD and recently auditioned for the new season of America's Got Talent. https://www.facebook.com/taliannal?fref=ts

Audrey MacKenzie (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Audrey is an eighth grader at Kilbourne Middle School. She was featured in Annie, The Odyssey, 54 People ‘LIKE’ This, and FLASHBACK!  She participated in Camp MADD, (Music, Arts, Dance, Drama) and assists with costume design and creation for her mother.

Alex Mangen (The Veterinarian’s Office: Film)

Since earning a Motion Picture Productions degree from Wright State, Alex has worked on several feature films, music videos, television, and commercials.  He has written and directed sketches for LeftofCenterComedy.com whose sketches have been licensed by MTV, CW, and played at numerous film festivals.   He was awarded a grant from Culture Works for the Arts.  Alex is currently a Director of Film Studies at Stivers and is in production for his next sketch comedy show. 

Crystal Michelle (Boxing Up Beautiful: Dance)

Crystal Michelle is a choreographer and performer with a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University.  Presently she is in her final year of graduate studies in the Department of Dance at The Ohio State University. Her current research engages themes of embodiment for women in contemporary performance; with her most recent project focusing on the historical practices of black women’s bodies in popular culture entertainment.

Sabrina Ramsey (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Sabrina is an eighth grader at Kilbourne Middle School. She was featured in The Odyssey, 54 People ‘LIKE’ This, and FLASHBACK!  She sings and plays guitar, flute and piano.

Heather Lea Reid (Poster & Program Designer, Sphere & Other Works: Acrylic on Fabric & Wood)

Heather Lea Reid's artwork is born out of a love of personality and pattern. The resulting subject matter is a mixture of figurative and pattern/design.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wright State University with her BFA and will begin graduate study Fall 2013.  She lives in Dayton with her partner and daughter. https://www.facebook.com/artworkbyheatherleareid

Eric Risher (In With the New: Film)

Eric was born in Canton, Ohio, where he integrated himself into the performing arts. He developed an affinity for video editing and moved to Dayton to pursue an education in filmmaking. With a passion for narrative and documentary alike, Eric seeks to explore themes of identity through his work.

Maranda Russell (What She Was and The Day My Sister Died: Poetry)

Maranda Russell is a 30-year-old foster parent, book reviewer, children’s writer, poet and writing teacher. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and has been awarded several awards and honors for her writings. She spends most of her time reading, writing, hanging out with her family, playing with her 5 cats and doing fun author events. For more information about Maranda and her published books, visit www.marandarussell.com.

Chelley Seibert (Rise: Music)

Chelley has been a TRU member since 2009, starting out as a conga player then becoming "The Police Officer" back-up singer for Martin Luther King celebrations in Dayton. Chelley now serves as part time choir director, back-up singer and soloist and creates original songs. Chelley received her music education degree at Miami University and marched in the World Champion Garfield Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. Chelley is a member of the acoustic band Frozen Feet.

Claudia Skutar (Scion: Poetry)

Claudia Skutar is a poet, essayist, and English professor at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College. Her work has appeared in Red Cedar Review, National Writers Union YMCA Writers’ Voice Project, Express Cincinnati  and Fresh Water: Women Writing on the Great Lakes. She’s served as a critic for the Greater Cincinnati Writers League and done workshops and readings at Michigan State, University of Cincinnati, Wright State, Blue Ash Recreation Center, Starfire and Mallard Cove.

Diane Stroud (Flutezalad Suite: Music)

Diane started playing flute at age 9. Her solo debut was in her school Christmas program. She played through high school with Marching, Concert and Pep Bands and liturgical choir. During college, she played at worship services and flute choir. Now Diane plays with choirs at her church and Knotwork. Diane is a busy mom of 2 musical sons, Andrew (flute) and Kevin (trumpet) and works as Graphic Designer/Resource Editor for One More Soul.

Alex Taylor (In With the New: Film)

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Alex received a BFA in Motion Picture Production from Wright State University. There, Alex produced several films and fulfilled a bevy of crew roles on additional productions. He views film as a synthesis of his passions: acting, music, and photography.

Barb Tucker (Flutezalad Suite: Music)

Growing up in a professional musical family instilled Barb’s love for music. She played in the NCR Concert Band and the Ohio State Youth Orchestra.  She spent 8 years singing gospel music. After raising two children (quite talented musicians), Barb founded Miami Rivers Flute Band, Knotwork and Festival of Flutes. You will find Barb behind the counter at Hauer Music when she's not playing flute in the Eaton Area Community Band or at her church. 

Karen Webb (Desert Beauty, Kylie, Lola & Emery and Starry Night: Multi-Media Art Work)

Karen has lived in the Dayton area for over 40 years. Her interest in art started at a young age, and throughout the years she has tried numerous mediums to express herself. In this exhibit you will see some acrylic painting, collage, colored pencil drawing, felting, and paper marbling. Her style is as diverse as her talents. You will see realistic paintings, as well as abstract designs. metalartxpressions.com.

Meghan Weinle (Flashback to Girl Scouts: Play)

Meghan is an eighth grader at Kilbourne Middle School.   She has been featured in Gossip Squirrels at last year’s SWAN Festival, had roles in FLASHBACK!, played Helen of Troy  in The Odyssey and Annie in Annie.  Other plays she participated in include Rumpelstiltskin and 54 People ‘LIKE’ This.  Meghan plays the flute and enjoys singing.

Jacob Wright (Cold: Play)

Seventeen year-old Jacob Wright is currently a junior at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering. Since the first grade, he has been a part of nine theater productions, notably the Genie in Aladdin.  Jacob has also appeared in two films. In his spare time, he will often star in, film and edit videos. Jacob is most interested in comedic acting, specifically, improvisation.



FINALISTS

Our selection committee was overwhelmed with the talent of Ohio's women. One afternoon of SWAN Day just isn't enough to showcase this much creativity. We wish to give special recognition to our finalists.

PERFORMING AND LITERARY ARTS

Tracy Ryan Edwards: Eulogy for a Modern Day Jekyll and Hyde:  Essay

Brianna Gessert: An Artist’s Lament: Letter

Danielle Harlow: All the Days: Short Story

jerjonji (Jeri Fay Maynard): Panda Girl: YA Novel Excerpt

Marianne Kesler: Mercy: Free Verse                  


VISUAL ARTS

Shulamit H. Adler, Ph.D.: Dayton Celebrates Women, Women Celebrate Dayton: Photography

Kitana Kuhn: Mask of Womanhood: Ceramics
Abigail Maurer: Jessie No 3.: Oil Stick Drawing

Brandilyn Nicolia: Black and Light: Photography

Ashley Simons: Colors of the Wind and Desert Storms: Abstract Acrylic Painting
 

Friday, February 22, 2013

Can’t wait for SWAN Day? You don’t have to.

SWAN  Day Dayton is Saturday March 30th at 2pm. But you can stop by the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch to view the wonderful work of our SWAN visual artists right now!  This diverse exhibit includes works by Bonnie Adams Brestelli, Laura Ceville, Sarah Fortener, Janyce Denise Glasper, Terri Melia Hamlin, Ellie Lane, Crystal Leisure, Heather Lea Reid, and Karen Webb. The SWAN Day Dayton Celebration of Ohio Female Visual Artists is open during regular library  hours from now until March 30th.
 
In This Haze of Green and Gold by Ellie Lane
 
 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!



SWAN Day Dayton is so grateful to all of the artists who shared their passion and creativity with us. This year we received a record number of submissions. The selection committee now has the very difficult task of narrowing down so much talent to only a two hour show. All artists will be contacted before March 1st.

A Bug's Life by Laura Ceville
 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Calling Ohio artists to participate in SWAN Day Dayton on March 30th, 2013

Wanted: Writers, poets, playwrights, filmmakers, musicians, dancers, actors, visual artists and more!

Last year’s inaugural event was such a success that we are doing it again and we need performers and artists! On March 30th  2013, artists and community members will gather together at the Auditorium in the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch to celebrate female artists for SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day.

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: February 15th          
EVENT DATE:                   March 30th  2:00pm

VENUE INFORMATION:

SWAN Day Dayton Showcase: Saturday March 30, 2013 at 2:00 pm
SWAN Day Dayton visual artists’ work display throughout the library Feb- March 2013

Dayton Metro Library Main Branch
Auditorium on Second Floor
215 E. Third St.
Dayton Ohio, 45402

PERFORMING ARTISTS, WRITERS, AND FILMMAKERS:

TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL:
E-mail SwanDayDayton@yahoo.com by February 15th, 2013

Subject line of e-mail should read: SUBMISSION: “Artist’s Name”:  “Title of Work”: “Genre”
                      Example: SUBMISSION: Emily Dickinson: Because I could not stop for Death: Poetry
Submissions must include:
1)         Your Art: 10 minute maximum. Preference will be given to pieces under 5 minutes. Please provide us with the actual material you plan to present on March 30th, not just a sample of your work.
2)         Bio: 75 words or less. (This bio will be used in the program if you work is selected for SWAN Day Dayton.)
3)         Contact information.
If your submission cannot be e-mailed, please contact SwanDayDayton@yahoo.com to make other arrangements.

TIME LINE:
Deadline for Proposals            Feb. 15, 2013

Selected Artists Announced    March 1, 2013

Mandatory Rehearsal             March 30, 2013  11:00 am

Public Showcase                     March 30, 2013   2:00 pm


THE FINE PRINT FOR PERFORMING ARTISTS:

This is a “bring it yourself” showcase. We provide the venue and the publicity, but you are responsible for providing all elements of your project, including but not limited to readers, actors, costumes, props, and rehearsal space. Artists must arrive on March 30th with projects “production ready”. Please do not send scripts or writing samples if you are unable to provide people to read or perform your piece.
Selected artists are required to meet at 11:00am on Saturday March 30th to do a rehearsal of the production,  prior to the 2:00 pm show. The day of March 30th is the only time commitment to be involved in this showcase.

The show is free and open to the public. Unfortunately at this time, no artists or coordinators will be paid for their participation.

The proposed project must be created by women or feature women. However, SWAN Day Dayton values gender equality and recognizes the importance of female and male artists working together to create.  Pieces including male collaborators are encouraged.

Projects must be under 10 minutes, with preference given to pieces 5 minutes or less.

The stage is small and there is no wing space or fly space. There is little room for set pieces other than a table, chairs, podium, or stool (provided) and pieces that can easily be carried on and off by a performer.

Artists must be able to set up and clear their performances in very little time.

We are able to show films from DVDs and project PowerPoint presentations.

A novelist, poet, or essayist does not have to read her own work, but she is responsible for providing someone who will.

Artists will have the opportunity to sell their books and other art work at the event, but are solely responsible for all financial transactions.

SWAN Day Dayton is co-sponsored by the Dayton Metro Library.

Proposals may include but are not limited to:
* A short film
* Reading of an excerpt of a novel or essay
* Poetry reading
* Performance of a play
* Dance or movement pieces that can be done on a small stage
* Musical performances that can be done with limited equipment


VISUAL ARTISTS:


Last year’s inaugural SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day event was such a success that we are doing it again!  This time we’ve partnered with the Dayton Metro Library to offer even greater exposure to our visual artists.  SWAN Day artists will have their work featured in the display cases found throughout the Main Branch library in February and March 2013.

PREFERRED PROPOSAL DEADLINE: Jan. 30
FINAL PROPOSAL DEADLINE: Feb. 15th

ARTWORK DISPLAYED IN THE DAYTON METRO LIBRARY DISPLAY CASES: February 16 – March 30th
SWAN DAY DAYTON PERFORMANCE EVENT DATE: March 30th  2:00pm


TO SUBMIT A VISUAL ARTS PROPOSAL:

E-mail SwanDayDayton@yahoo.com by February 15th, 2013 (Preference strongly given to artists that submit early.)

Subject line of e-mail should read: SUBMISSION: “Artist’s Name”:  “Title of Work”: “Genre”
Example: SUBMISSION: Mary Cassatt: The Boating Party and Other Works: Impressionist Oil Paintings

Submissions must include:

1        Your Art: 3-10 jpg images of the work that you wish to showcase or a link to your website where photographs of your art are found, with an explanation of what type of pieces you plan to include in this particular show.

2        The minimum and maximum amount of space that will need to display your work, as well as whether your work will fit in a trophy style or a flat display case

3        Your availability on February 16th to come to the Dayton Metro Main Branch Library and set up your display and to take it down March 30th after SWAN Day Dayton

4    Bio: 75 words or less. (This bio will be used in the program if you work is selected for SWAN Day Dayton.)

   Contact information

If your submission cannot be e-mailed, please contact SwanDayDayton@yahoo.com to make other arrangements.

TIME LINE:
Preferred Deadline for Proposals: Jan. 30, 2013

Final Deadline for Proposals: Feb. 15, 2013
Selected Visual Artists Announced: Feb. 16, 2013 or sooner
SWAN Day Artwork in Display Cases: Feb. 16 –March 2013
Public Performance Showcase: March 30, 2013   2:00 pm

Remove Art from Display Cases: March 30th, 2013 5pm- 6pm


THE FINE PRINT FOR VISUAL ARTISTS:

Based on the quantity, quality and style of visual art submissions and at the discretion of the SWAN Day selection committee and producers, SWAN Day Dayton may also include tables and easels at the back of the auditorium featuring the work of visual artists on March 30th  at the performing artists showcase in addition to the display cases of visual art throughout the library during February and March.

SWAN Day Dayton has a number of display cases in a variety of dimensions to fill with the work of a variety of artists. The earlier you submit and the more detailed you are about your display needs, the more likely you are to be selected.  Because of the tight timeline and planning involved, visual artists may be chosen and notified before the deadline.

Each display case is locked, with the key held by a single Dayton Metro Library employee.

Each display case is lit with florescent bulbs.

ABOUT SWAN DAY:
SWAN Day/Support Women Artists Now Day is a new international holiday that celebrates women artists.  It is an annual event taking place on the last Saturday of March (Women’s History Month) and the surrounding weeks. The official date of the Sixth International SWAN Day is Saturday, March 30th, 2013.

By focusing attention on the work of women artists, SWAN Day helps people imagine what the world might be like if women’s art and perspectives were fully integrated into all of our lives.
People celebrate this new holiday by participating in SWAN Day events and by making donations to their favorite women artists. The long term goal of SWAN Day is to inspire communities around the world to find new ways to recognize and support women artists as a basic element of civic planning.

There have been over 900 SWAN Day events in 23 countries in the first five years of SWAN Day. SWAN Day has been officially recognized by the mayors of New York, Boston, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and several other cities. Women artists at all levels have been proud to participate in SWAN Day.  Isabel Allende, the award-winning novelist; Sandra Oh, a star of the hit television show ER and an acclaimed stage actress; and Famke Janssen, star of the X-Men movies, have all done online video endorsements of SWAN Day.

SWAN Day is facilitated by WomenArts (www.womenarts.org), a non-profit arts service organization which is dedicated to helping women artists get the resources they need to do their creative work.  Over the past decade WomenArts has raised over $4 million and built a website at www.womenarts.org that offers networking, fundraising and advocacy services to over 500,000 visitors a year.

To learn more about this international grassroots movement, please visit:
www.womenarts.org/swan

ABOUT THE PRODUCER, STACEY LANE:

Playwright Stacey Lane’s scripts have been performed at over three hundred theatres from coast to coast in the U.S., as well as in Canada, England, Australia, and New Zealand and are published with Dramatic Publishing, Eldridge, Playscripts Inc., Pioneer, Smith and Kraus, Heuer, Next Stage Press, Manhattan Theatre Source, JAC Publishing, San Luis Obispo Little Theatre, Sterling, Freshwater, Poydras Review, The Quotable, Indian Ink, Canyon Voices, Steel Bananas and Scene4.  She is the recipient of the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency Grant, the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District’s Literary Artist Fellowship, a “Charlie Award”, and a nominee for “Outstanding Playwriting” at the Midtown International Theatre Festival.

Lane has also served professionally in the theatre as an actor, costume designer, teacher, stage manager, run crew, and box office. In addition to producing Ohio’s inaugural SWAN Day last year, she organized and emceed the Greene Children’s Book Festival at the Greene Mall in Beavercreek, Ohio.

To learn more, please go to:
www.StaceyLaneInk.com

ABOUT THE CO-PRODUCER, DARA COSBY:

Dara Cosby is a graduate of Wright State University’s Motion Picture program.  She has written reviews for film and television. Some recent work has been as a casting assistant on the feature film, True Nature and script supervisor for FreshMouth 2020. Dara has also obtained a master’s degree in Community Counseling from University of Dayton, in hopes to use film and media to help others.

ABOUT THE CO-SPONSER, THE DAYTON METRO LIBRARY:

SWAN Day Dayton and it’s producers are delighted to join forces with the Dayton Metro Library and wish to extend our deepest appreciation to the library and Joy Schwab of Main Adult Services for supporting Ohio female artists. The Dayton Metro Library is a county-wide system of 20 branch libraries, Outreach Services and the Main Library in downtown Dayton. They are one of the oldest and largest public library systems in Ohio, and are proud to say they rank among the best in the nation!  The library offers the newest books, movies, and music, adding more than 250,000 items a year. Along with the latest and most popular titles, the library stocks classics and research materials.
To learn more, please go to:
www.daytonmetrolibrary.org

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Artwork by Heather Lea Reid