‘Art That Bonds’ event Tuesday in Springfield to showcase visual and performance art by local youth

“Art That Bonds” went from just more than 100 attendees its first year to more than 300 in 2024 and could be even bigger in 2025, according to Dr. Julius Bailey, founder and director of Dance Stomp Shake. He credits involvement of more families, leaders of various organizations, community partners and individuals including SMoA educator Amy Korpieski and Beth Dixon of WellSpring, who is involved in several youth groups.

“It’s to elevate young people not just to be creative, but to bring a level of confidence by trusting them on big stages,” he said. “It’s an event that promotes your child.”

The evening will include Hayward and Schaefer students displaying their visual art; Springfield High students working and displaying their artist portfolios and poetry; School of Innovation students’ recorded poetry as an audioscape and spoken word performances; Behind the Curtain dance performance; live music from Grammy Award-nominated vibraphonist Joshua Strange and Brian Davis; an artist talk from SeRae Bray; a presentation by the BATS youth advocacy group.

Korpieski said some of the art was inspired by the work of late Ohio artist Aminah Robinson, the subject of a major national touring exhibition on display in the SMoA’s main gallery. That exhibition, organized by the Columbus Museum of Art and supported by the Art Bridges Foundation, and all the galleries will be open during the event.

It’s also a chance for the students to see each other’s works and discover the museum for the first time.

“This is a great way to display art from across the Springfield neighborhoods,” said Korpieski.

Bailey said “Art That Bonds” is representative of the diversity of creativity in the community. He sees it as an ongoing part of the Dance Stomp Shake brand and would like to see it expand beyond Clark County.

“I see no apex as to where it can go. This is part of the ABCs of human experience – Arts, Beautiful and Creative,” he said.

UP NEXT: DANCE STOMP SHAKE

Tickets are available for the fifth annual Dance Stomp Shake dance show at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Dayton Masonic Center. For more information that event or “Art That Bonds,” go to dancestompshake.org.