The Dayton Art Institute has opened the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Gallery for Feminist Art, a dedicated space exhibiting exclusively works by women artists. The gallery held its ribbon-cutting ceremony in early February 2026, made possible by a major donation from Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell that funded both the gallery and a new curator position focused on women’s art.

Dr. Mariah Postlewait was appointed as the gallery’s dedicated curator. The inaugural collection draws from the Vance Waddell gift, which followed the institution’s successful 2024 exhibition “Riveting: Women Artists from the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell,” which introduced the collection to Dayton audiences. The donors plan to continue transferring works to the DAI over several years. Featured artists include Cindy Sherman, Deborah Kass, Jessica Harrison, and Shelley Brenner Baird.

The gallery’s first year is organized around three sequential exhibitions tracing the history and politics of feminism: “Feminism 101,” followed by “Pivotal Issues and Influential Figures” (on view June 20 through September 20, 2026), and “Rallying Cries and Civic Engagement.” Mark Shaker, interim director and president of the DAI, said at the ceremony: “The collection is not just a group of works, it’s a statement.” The institution noted a symbolic connection to its origins: its first-ever acquisition was a work by female sculptor Harriet Frishmuth, donated by a woman patron in the museum’s early years. The Dayton Art Institute is located at 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton.

Source: Dayton Daily News