10/12/2026
๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ is a weekly celebration of the artists, collectors, educators, students, and supporters who make The Contemporary Dayton (TCD) a vibrant community for contemporary art.
Michele BonDurant
michelebondurant.net
Image: Pelican, 2026, oil and acrylic paint, painted cut paper, magazine images, 36 x 48 inches
๐ง๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐.
I constantly look at the everyday things around us: the neighbor's house, a tree, a stack of mandarins. I find it all intriguing and beautiful. This piece grew out of something I saw during a residency in Italy: a hedge with doors in it. When they were opened, it looked like an altar. Italy has many, many altars, so I decided to explore that topic. The pelican is a lesser-known symbol of the Eucharist in the Catholic faith.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐ป?
I believe the arts need support in our community. Creativity makes us come alive. Without a place to see and participate in the arts, our city would feel empty.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐ป?
17 years
๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐, ๐ฒ๐
๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐?
Laura Sanders: Force of Nature. This was an absolutely stunning exhibition. The paintings were so well done, and I identified with her subject matter, which considered the complex realities of women.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐, ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐?
I'm investigating altars and the symbolism of the objects placed on them.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ?
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