Must-see public art

Dayton is home to plenty of public art, much of it inspired by the city's innovative spirit. Below are 9 can't-miss pieces.

FLYOVER

Artist David Black’s “Flyover” sculpture sits in the middle of downtown Dayton on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets. The abstract sculpture is a recreation of the Wright Brothers’ first 12-second flight. The curve matches the actual flight path, and there is a set of wings representing each second of the Dayton natives’ flight. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
MOVIN’ ON (FOR JESSE OWENS)

This abstract sculpture depicts the Olympic rings, but instead of circles, quadrilaterals are linked together. Artist Charles Ginnever designed the sculpture, which is located in Dave Hall Plaza on the corner of Main and Fifth streets in downtown Dayton. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
THE WRIGHT FLYER III

A Wright Brothers tribute sculpture located on Monument Avenue between St. Clair and Jefferson streets represents the third flyer the Dayton brothers constructed to continue their flying experiments at Huffman Prairie, within what is now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The sculpture was sculpted by Larry Godwin and was dedicated in May 2001. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
FLUID DYNAMICS

Created by Yellow-Springs artist Jon Barlow Hudson, “Fluid Dynamics” embodies Hudson’s interpretation of flow in nature. Hudson says the sculpture “speaks of Dayton’s past at the junction of the Miami, Mad and Stillwater rivers, of its engineers who mastered the aerodynamics of flight, hydraulics, aeronautics, propulsion and of its present, atop rich, flowing aquifers.” This sculpture sits at the intersection of Patterson Blvd. and St. Clair St. in downtown Dayton. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
PATHWAY

Towering 65 feet into the sky in front of the main entrance to the Dayton Art Institute, “Pathway” is meant to suggest man’s pathway into space. The polished steel sculpture, designed by artist John Safer, was installed in 2003 during the 100th anniversary celebrations of powered flight and is dedicated to the spirit of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
THE HERITAGE SCULPTURE

"The Heritage Sculpture” is located on Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton and was designed by a master artist team of 87 people. The cast bronze sculpture stretches across the stage area of Courthouse Square and was dedicated in April 1998. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
STIVERS SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS

A series of public sculptures can be found on the campus of Stivers School for the Arts, located on East Fifth Street in Dayton. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
MEMORIAL HALL

Outside the main entrance to Memorial Hall on Second Street in downtown Dayton are two bronze relief sculptures that depict the region’s military history. One statue illustrates a trooper from the Spanish American War and the other illustrates a World War I doughboy charging with his bayonet. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF
THIRD STREET MURALS

A series of murals along Third Street near the Webster Street intersection add color and life along the road and under the railroad overpass. One mural, Amy Kollar Anderson’s “Farm Girl”, is located at the intersection of Third and McDonough streets. The murals were made by local artists working with Garden Station. Photo: DREW SIMON / STAFF