An investment in the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio is an investment in Lancaster, the people who live there and work there. That’s why Donna Collins, Ohio Arts Council Executive Director, is an ardent supporter of DACO, which she says provides a crucial historical perspective of the arts.
 
“The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio is important to everyone in Ohio for what you bring to us,” she says. “When I come to the exhibitions, I get to see things I have never seen before, things that may not be available to me any other way.”
 
Collins advocates for state funding for arts organizations like DACO so that residents of all ages can benefit from educational programming. “It’s an important story to tell policymakers that we have such a renowned institution in Lancaster that has such historical relevance,” she says. “The beauty and grandeur of the physical building is fantastic.”
 
Arts education is a significant portion of the Ohio Arts Council annual budget.
 
“We spend about $3 million of a $17 million budget on arts education and we are hoping that the programs that we fund are the programs you are doing,” she said of DACO. That’s important for children especially who may not have access to the arts in their communities.
 
“For our K-12 kids, arts happening at DACO supplements what happens in the school,” Collins says. “In some communities, there is limited access for children, but with organizations like DACO, it’s seen by the entire community as a partnership that is important and changes lives.”
 
The mission of the Ohio Arts Council closely aligns with that of DACO, and focuses on providing quality arts experiences and strengthening Ohio culturally. “It’s all about the engagement of our communities through the arts,” Collins says. “Our four pillars of our strategic plan are to invest, lead, innovate and engage.”
 
With the support of the Ohio Arts Council through ongoing collaboration and critical funding, DACO will continue to engage the community with innovative exhibitions, offer imaginative arts education curriculum and showcase historic collections central to our mission.
 
“I think that the Reese-Peters House is a gem and a place of prominence in our state, and it’s something we can all be proud of,” Collins says. “The arts council is proud to invest public dollars to help fund your success.”

Far from being obsolete, printmaking is enjoying a resurgence, and as more look to disconnect from a digital world, this artistic process is finding a whole new generation of fans.
 
Yet for Ohio University Art Professor Art Werger, printmaking has been a rewarding form of expression for years, ever since he was a young student at the Rhode Island School of Design. “I enjoy the challenges that continue to present themselves with each new piece,” he says. “Having worked in etching and mezzotint for 45 years, I still find renewed interest in the pursuit each day I enter the studio.”
 
Now Werger is hoping to share his love for printmaking with others through his upcoming Artist Talk, Etching in the Age of Instagram. The lecture is scheduled for 2 p.m. Aug. 9, and will take place at First United Methodist Church, 163 E. Wheeling St., to accommodate appropriate social distancing.
 
At the lecture, Werger will provide information on resources in the region for anyone who is interested in pursuing any of the printmaking media that he will discuss, including lithography, mezzotint, etching and letterpress.
 
“The resurgence of interest in printmaking appears to be a counterbalance to the creative directions that digital media have opened up in recent years,” Werger said. He says this artistic process allows for a great range of personal expression through techniques that have been refined and evolved over hundreds of years.
 
“Printmaking provides physicality that connects the artist to his or her process,” he said. “While digital media provide ease and immediacy, printmaking is based in problem-solving and delayed gratification.”
 
Cost for the lecture is $8 for the public and $5 for members with prepaid registration, or $10 at the door. Register for this Artist Talk here.
 
Support for the exhibition has been provided by the George and Dollie L. Zimpfer Memorial Fund of the Fairfield County Foundation, The Fox Foundation, Ohio Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Federal CARES Act of 2020.