Today, Landsiedel and artist Christy Jennewein (and fellow Cannery veteran) show and sell their wares at the Treasure Barn Antique Mall (originally called the Fine Arts building), immediately to the north of the Roundhouse on the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.
But Landsiedel and his friends fear artistic homelessness threatens once again. The fairgrounds are in the midst of moving to Brookville, leaving the 38-acre site poised for commercial redevelopment in what’s being called the “Midtown” project.
Landsiedel and his friends — including Treasure Barn co-manager Jim Frommel — understand that development of some kind is in the cards. But they hope that the Roundhouse can be somehow preserved. The building was first built in the 1870s and has long been a South Dayton landmark.
We met with Landsiedel at the Treasure Barn for Three Questions. This is edited and condensed.
Q: How long have you been in the Treasure Barn?
Landsiedel: "Less than a year. A friend and I had the gallery downtown for nine years at the Cannery. It (the gallery) was in two locations …
“Those weren’t studios; those were actual galleries. We had, oh, upwards of 50 artists who were in those spaces. And the cost downtown just became prohibitive. (We were) always looking for somewhere else to be. This thing (the Treasure Barn) just became known to us. And we thought we would try a little bit of a different approach. We call it the ‘Cannery self-serve gallery.’ Because we wouldn’t be there (to sell our art). We all know what self-serve means.
“Since there won’t be any commissions to the artist, certainly the prices will be more than fair.”
Q: Often your art is made of recycled items. Where do you find the raw material?
Landsiedel: "When we first came here, we started with the thought of the name of 'Recycled Dayton,' because everything was found in Dayton. I could almost tell you that everything here was found and recycled in Dayton neighborhoods. …
“These are old wood patterns that were made in Dayton. I could tell you what a wood pattern is, but Dayton was known for wood patterns in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. Part of that whole industrial age. They took that pattern, pressed it into sand and poured cast iron into it. These were all from Dayton foundries.
“Oddly enough, a lot of these things were kicked to the curb, and we just passed by. … You drive around the block hoping someone else takes it so you don’t have to. You go around the block or run your errand. You go back by and it’s still there. It’s calling to you.”
Q: Why is the Roundhouse important to you? It seems personal for you and others.
Landsiedel: "Things are really changing here, and no one seems to know in what direction. I came here and kind of got involved with Christy. And every time I pulled up and parked next to the Roundhouse, it was just a flood of memories of growing up and coming to the fair. And all I had to do was put my hand on that building, and that was it.
“The whole idea is to see what you can do to maybe draw some interest in it.
The entire (38) acres is in danger. And when you say ‘in danger,’ it’s probably to development. My thought is that it’s really complicated and yet simple. There are so many people moving into the downtown area and into South Park … You could almost call it a neighborhood. At some point, they’ll really be wanting more green space. There are just so many other places to develop. Why not let this go on being what it has been?”
Know someone who can handle Three Questions? We're looking for behind-the-scenes-but-still fascinating Miami Valley residents with something to say. Send your suggestions to tom.gnau@coxinc.com.
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