Now being adopted into the collective is Ren Cummings, a visual and media artist originally from Dayton, Ohio and currently attending UTK for her MFA in Media Arts. Also being adopted in is Carly Perkins of Dayton, Ohio. She’s currently attending Sinclair Community College for her AA in Fine Art Photography. Both of these new artists will be participating in not yet organized collective shows and organizing their own for the group.

Take Me To The Future Of You All, our show in Knoxville at the Gallery 1010 on Gay Street was a success. Special Thanks to Ren for organizing it, and the University of Tennessee for hosting. If you had the chance to see it, make sure you come to our next event, “Here We Belong” first Friday in August in Dayton, Ohio (more details to come) Check some photos:

My name is Nicholaus Arnold, I’m a current second year MFA student at Syracuse University, and I represent the BrokenDayton art group. We are a group of artists currently spread across the country all originally from the Dayton, Ohio area. Ian Breidenbach, another member of our group, is an active artist and graduate from Wright State University, who is still based in the Dayton area and co-founder of Space_11 exhibition space. Frank Travers, the final member of our group is about to receive his MFA in Printmaking from University of Connecticut. We are currently trying to put together a series of national shows this summer including one in Braddock, titled “I Am Immortal”. The idea is that as we come from what’s known as a dying city, and we want to show that our arts and culture are still very much alive. Braddock, Pennsylvania, being the main place that such an idea was first conceived, seemed like the best place to launch our series of shows.

“I Am Immortal” is a three-person show focusing on the idea of immortality. The famous sculptor Damien Hirst once said that, “It’s all boils down to the desire to live forever. This is what Art’s all about”. Working from this idea we realized that we should spread our love for art from our dying city in the hopes that it will be noticed on a different level. We want to show in non-traditional art spaces leaving them improved and better for having had us showcase our work there. Vacant buildings and cultural centers such as churches are preferred display options in this concept.

Here’s where our problem is . . . We don’t know anyone from Braddock, or know much more about it than what’s been written in the papers such as the New York Times. We greatly want to help participate in the idea of resurgence through art, but we don’t know where to start in your town. After reading and researching, we thought the best idea would be to approach you directly and ask for your help in such a task. We’d greatly appreciate any help or suggestions you could provide.

Thank You,

Nicholaus Arnold

I updated the “work” page (see the links to the right). Now all three artists have work posted. In other news, Ian is finding contacts in different locations across the country lining possibilities for our string of shows this summer, so everything is feeling grand and new, and generally sunny and cheerful. For now feel free to check out the work posted and drop us a line with your thoughts . . . or feel free to complain, it’s good either way.

-nick

So . . . I found a cool blog that might produce a lead for a show in Pittsburgh, Pa. It’s simply called Pittsburgh Art Galleries Blog. Pretty simple but it might help us locate venues for a Pittsburgh show.

In other news, the “work” page is starting to come together, I just need work from Ian and Frank to bring it all together. Should be coming soon.

-nick

So this is the first post on the newly revamped or in the process of being revamped, brokendayton.com. Oddly enough the original reason I purchased the site was for something along these lines. Back then I was depending on the group of community college students who were my peers to help me along the way . . . but deadlines and such, and the amount of work it became came to be too much for myself. This new one’s gonna be good though. It’s streamlined. It has better artists, and of course, it’s pretty sweet. hope you enjoy all that is to come of this wonderful new internet space. Oh yeah it’ll get better once Ian and Frank start rolling on here too.

Lubby lubbinkiss,

-nick