Since 2014, we have been creating art events, hosting artists, and making cool stuff happen in Dayton, Ohio
The Blue House
The Blue House began in 2014 when Nicholaus Arnold and Ashley Jonas teamed up with Blue House owner, Diana Cordero to create an arts center in Northwest Dayton. Diana’s love for the neighborhood inspired her to acquire and transform the large blue house located near the corner of Seibenthaler and Catalpa; which was a vacant property in the area. Nicholaus and Ashley had just relocated to the area after graduate school at Syracuse University and The University of Colorado Boulder where they each received their MFA’s respectively. These three worked together renovating and rebuilding many areas of the house; resulting in the creation of a livable residence and a viable creative space.
Since 2014, there have been many changes. The Blue House as a venue has hosted many different types of events, exhibitions and different types of Artists in Residence. The Blue House has maintained its mission to create a learning place audiences can comfortably converge and exchange or interpret ideas; to show artwork that challenges ideas and advances the notions of the condition of art on a regional and national level and to bring artists from around the area and across the country to collaborate, create and contribute to our regional culture.
Around 2019, Nick and Ashley purchased The Blue House and we began to enter a new phase. In the last year or so, The Blue House has started becoming an arts incubator. Nick and Ashley partner with local organizations to curate host and create new types of art events through grant writing and fundraising. No longer do exhibitions occur IN the actual Blue House, but instead they occur in the greater community to reach even larger audiences than we’ve every been able to reach before. The future is bright, and we hope to continue to create more arts in Dayton!