DAYTON, OH.- On view through Sept. 14, 2025, at the Dayton Art Institute (DAI), Curtis Barnes, Sr., Dayton Icon celebrates the life, work and legacy of one of Dayton’s most influential artists and educators. The exhibition brings together more than 100 works from the 1960s to the 2010s, generously loaned by the Barnes’ family.

“This exhibition offers an intimate look into Curtis Barnes’ artistic journey and his impact as a community leader,” said DAI Director and President Michael R. Roediger. “It’s an honor to present this retrospective in what would have been his 90th year.”

An artist, educator and mentor, Curtis Barnes, Sr. (1935–2019) was a vital figure in Dayton’s creative community. Known for his bold use of color and experimental style, Barnes developed a distinctive blend of naturalism and abstraction. His paintings often feature family, friends and self-portraits that reflect different moods and moments in his life.

The exhibition explores major themes in Barnes’ work, including his use of African masks and visual references to African heritage and spirituality. In several non-objective paintings, the movement of dancers and the rhythm of jazz—one of Barnes’ passions—visually emerge through curving, spontaneous shapes.

“Curtis Barnes’ work embodies a remarkable range of emotional depth and brilliant color sense,” said DAI Head Curator and Curatorial Affairs Director Jerry N. Smith. “This exhibition is both a celebration of his artistic vision and a reflection of the community that helped shape it. In Barnes’ hands, color and shape become deeply personal tools moving comfortably between artistic styles—realism, abstraction, symbolism—often within the same canvas. His work invites us to see the world through his eyes: layered with history, rooted in identity and always open to experimentation and interpretation.”

Born in North Carolina, Barnes moved to Dayton in 1962 after serving in the U.S. Air Force. He earned a degree from Wright State University and spent decades teaching art in Dayton Public Schools and at Sinclair Community College, where he retired as professor emeritus. He continued to paint throughout his life and taught Sunday art classes at the DAI during his retirement.

Barnes was recognized for his contributions to the arts with the Paul Laurence Dunbar Humanitarian Award in 1994 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ohio Arts Council in 2008. In 1992, he co-founded the African American Visual Artists Guild with artist Willis “Bing” Davis to promote and empower Black artists throughout the Dayton region.

Barnes exhibited his work locally and nationally, with previous retrospectives at the Cannery Art & Design Center in 2006 and the University of Dayton in 2009. More recently, The Contemporary Dayton featured a show of his portraits in 2021. Currently, the Black Palette Gallery, 1139 W. 3rd Street, is hosting an exhibition of Barnes’ art and life.

“Curtis Barnes was a beacon for so many, and his influence is still felt today,” said Roediger. “He helped shape the arts in Dayton, not only through his paintings, but through his teaching, mentorship and advocacy for Black artists. We are incredibly grateful to the Barnes family for their help in arranging this celebration of Barnes’ legacy and story, which is woven into the story of Dayton itself.”