You are in downtown Dayton.
You enter the ground floor of a gigantic multi-level warehouse. There is a performance stage to your right large enough to present a musical. Above the stage is a projection screen that drops down to convert the space into a movie theatre. Enjoy your favorite band, watch a play, or be intrigued by performance art.
Are you thirsty? Head to the bar for a cocktail or a glass of juice.
Are you hungry? Go upstairs to the café that serves vegetarian and vegan food. Sit down. Chat with the artists who surround you. Share an espresso with a new friend at the coffee bar.
Are you feeling more awake? Enter the gallery to view sculpture and 2D art. Weave your way through large-scale environmental installations.
Are you feeling inspired? Go up one more flight of stairs to the communal studio. Get help silk-screening your own T-shirt. Use the darkroom. Build a set for your latest film project. Practice a new song with your band.
Need a bit of rest? Proceed to the top floor and rest in your loft apartment overlooking downtown Dayton. You fall asleep feeling included in a growing community…
Once you enter The Circus, you won’t want to leave.
This past June, a group of more than seventy Dayton artists united to present The Sideshow: a grand-scaled and highly successful art show supported solely by members of our community. It is now time to sow the seeds of The Sideshow and enter the next phase: The Circus. A Community Space to foster the endeavors of all Dayton’s artists. A project multi-layered and diverse enough to offer balance and longevity.
We intend to:
Provide a supportive, connective, and inspiring environment.
Present underexposed art to the Dayton Metro Area.
Foster a community space for all artists, from the beginner to the advanced.
Provide the tools and raw materials to create art.
Offer the time, space, and freedom for artists to up the ante in their creations.
Maintain a kiosk for everyone to share information and advertise local events.
Encourage the merging of artistic genres to interconnect and strengthen the art community.
Offer the facilities for third parties to host their own art shows, workshops, and parties.
Create a stable venue for visiting performers.
Make art more accessible to people with lower incomes.
Help strengthen downtown by creating a sustainable community space.