In this issue...

Features

Rau--Wow! Special Exhibit Comes to Dayton Art Institute

“Wow!” is what most visitors to the Rau Collection exhibition will say. The Dayton Art Institute is the only museum in the Midwestern United States to showcase this spectacular exhibition — From Fra Angelico To Bonnard: Masterpieces from the Rau Collection — of 95 paintings from one of the world’s most distinguished private collections.

These masterworks represent just a small selection of the 800 works of art acquired by Dr. Gustav Rau (1922 – 2002) over more than 40 years. Half of the works on display are Old Master paintings from the 15th to the early 19th centuries; the other half represents Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early modern art from the mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries.

These masterworks represent just a small selection of the 800 works of art acquired by Dr. Gustav Rau (1922 – 2002) over more than 40 years. Half of the works on display are Old Master paintings from the 15th to the early 19th centuries; the other half represents Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early modern art from the mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries.

Highlights of the exhibition include:
- El Greco’s Saint Dominic in Prayer
- Canaletto’s Saint Mark’s Square
- The Sea at L'Estaque by Paul Cézanne
- Auguste Renoir’s Woman with a Rose
- Six paintings by Claude Monet

The Dayton Art Institute is one of only two American museums to showcase this spectacular exhibition on its first and only U.S. tour. Most of these paintings have never been shown in public before.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see spectacular works by some of the world’s greatest artists!

Hours:
Open everyday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Admission (includes audio guide):
$12 for adults
$10 for seniors (60+)
$10 for students (19+ with ID)
$5 for youth (7-18)
FREE for children 6 and under
FREE for Art Institute members

For more information log onto www.daytonartinstitute.org/exhibitions

Actor Dennis Quaid Emcees Dayton Enshrinement Gala

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) hosted its 43rd Annual Enshrinement Ceremony on Saturday evening, July 17, 2004, at the Dayton Convention Center.  Often referred to as America’s “Oscar Night of Aviation,” this year’s black-tie dinner gala featured actor and pilot, Dennis Quaid, as the master-of-ceremonies.

The enshrinee Class of 2004 consisted of former Apollo astronaut and aerospace industry leader, William A. Anders; America’s first officially licensed female pilot, the late Harriet Quimby; pioneering flight test engineer and pilot, the late Jack L. Ridley; and air show headliner and three-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, Patty Wagstaff.

Anders gained worldwide acclaim on Apollo 8 as the first to ever photograph earth as seen from the moon’s orbit.  His stunning “Earthrise” is considered an iconic image of the 20^th Century.  Retired from NASA and the Air Force Reserves as a Major General, Anders went on to executive positions in the aerospace sector and remains an avid pilot.  Fellow astronaut and enshrinee, Frank Borman presented.

Quimby became the first American female licensed pilot in 1911 and in 1912 the first female to fly solo across the English Channel.  Accepting enshrinement on her behalf is Ms. Connie Tobias, a Captain for US Airways and a noted Quimby historian.  Emily Howell Warner, the first female pilot of a scheduled, jet-equipped U.S. airline presented.

Ridley was an Air Force test pilot and, as the flight test engineer on the X-1 project, is considered instrumental to NAHF enshrinee Chuck Yeager being the first to succesfully break the sound barrier in 1947.  Ridley’s son, R. Jack Ridley, accepted the enshrinement on his father’s behalf from Chuck Yeager.

Wagstaff won her first U.S. National Aerobatic Championship in 1991, becoming the first woman to do so, and then repeated the feat the following two years in a row.  As an inspirational role model and aviation ambassador, her standard-setting aerial performances thrill millions of air show spectators worldwide.  Wagstaff personally accepted her enshrinement from the husband and wife flight instruction business team of John and Martha King.  Wagstaff also performed in the Vectren Dayton Air Show which took place the same weekend as the ceremony. For more information visit www.nationalaviation.org or call (937) 256-0944 ext. 16.

Dayton Suburb, Vandalia, Hosts Grand American Trapshoot
Largest Shooting Event In The World

Over 6,000 trapshooters will 'give it a shot' at the 2004 Grand American World Trap Championships in Vandalia, Ohio August 10-21, 2004.  The Grand American is the World Trapshooting Championships and is the largest shooting event in the world with more than 6,000 competitors during a ten-day span. Competitors from around the world compete for nearly 400 trophies and more than one million dollars in purses and options distributed to winners in 19 events. The Grand American is one of America's oldest and most unique sporting events dating back to 1893 where 24 competitors shot at live birds in Long Island, NY. 

The ATA has been located in Vandalia, Ohio at the south end of the Dayton International Airport since 1924.  The trap line is the longest in the world spanning over 1 5/8 miles.  There are 600 camp-sties on the grounds for competitors to call home during the event.

The ATA is the governing body for the sport of trapshooting and has 35,000-40,000 active annual members. The ATA board gave an extension until 2005 to host the Grand American in Vandalia, Ohio.  A large Grand American 2004 is planned as it may be the last opportunity for some members to participate in Vandalia.  It is anticipated that much more stringent target and other requirements will be necessary for the 2005 Grand American because Dayton International Airport expansions will limit the number of trap fields available and because it will be the last tournament on the current home grounds and therefore likely to be widely attended.  In 2005 it will be necessary to reduce the number of entries that can be accepted by 30% from the 2004 Grand.  To accompish this stricter requirements will be in place for the 2005 Grand before one is eligible to enter any Grand American event. 

In 2006 the Grand American will be hosted in Sparta, Illinois where The World Shooting and Recreation Complex is currently under development.  The relocation is a result of inadequate trap fields being available due to Dayton International Airport expansions and because of the ATA's vision to have a facility that can be utilized 365-days a year.  Unfortunately the Vandalia grounds, located on the southern edge of the Dayton International Airport, can only be utilized during the state and Grand Trapshoots.

For the latest information on the Grand American Trapshoot and any further updates please view the ATA website at www.shootata.com. 

President's Corner

Summer is in full swing and so are the activities and opportunities available in the greater Dayton/Montgomery County community. 

Special Events Abound
Warm weather, longer days and perhaps more relaxed schedules lure many of us outside to participate in the numerous special events, fairs and festivals occurring in the greater Dayton area.  This summer offers no shortage of opportunities of which to take advantage.  July provided the acclaimed Vectren Dayton Air Show (July 17-18) on the grounds of the Dayton International Airport as well as the ever-growing free Dayton Celtic Festival (July 30—Aug 1) at RiverScape.  For the first time the CITYFOLK Festival partnered with the City of Dayton July 4^th Fireworks celebration in what many found to be a splendidly successful event.  And the Dayton Black Cultural Festival celebrated excellent attendance at their annual event at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds (July 9-11.)  The dog days of August offer up a howling good time from Big Band Nights free concerts at RiverScape (Aug 12, 26) to the free U.S. Air Force Band of Flight performance at Stubbs Park (Aug 15) and the Mountain Days Festival celebrating Appalachian culture (Aug 21-22) at Eastwood MetroPark.  September may mark ‘back to school days’ but it also signals the return of some of our area’s most popular festivals.  September 10-12, the weekend following Labor Day weekend, traditional area festivals abound from The Greek Festival to the Italian Festival while Savor Dayton (Sept 17-19) held at RiverScape provides area residents and visitors with a new event and a chance to sample some of Dayton’s local restaurants’ delicious cuisine.  The Concours d’Elegance Fall Festival of Cars (Sept 19^th) at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery drives car-lovers crazy and the Aullwood Apple Fest (Sept 25-26) at Aullwood Audubon Farm makes the area ripe for fall.

A popular time for Sporting Events & Tournaments
Summer also welcomes a number of the Dayton/Montgomery County area’s larger sporting conventions and events.  1,500 participants and spectators of the 33^rd annual National Police Softball Tournament had a ball in Dayton July 10-11.  Approximately 3,000 attendees got a kick out of the Ohio High School Scholarship Cup Boys Soccer Tournament July 23-25, while 17,000 youth and family members will roll into Dayton for the 25^th annual Mead CUSA Cup Youth Soccer Tournament Sept 4-6.  Other large sporting events range from the Dayton Horse Show which attracted nearly 2,000 attendees Aug 2-7, to the Grand American Trapshooting World Championships hosting over 6,000 shooters for ten days Aug 10-21.  These are just a few examples of ways the greater Dayton area is heating up this summer.  The Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages you to get out and enjoy all the area has to offer.  For more information feel free to contact us at 937-226-8211 or log onto www.daytoncvb.com.

Jacquelyn Y. Powell

Trivia Tidbits

• Dayton outranks cities double our size in the number of patents issued
• The Main Street Bridge over the Great Miami River was one of the first concrete bridges in the U.S.
• The region's first kidney transplant was performed in 1970 at Miami Valley Hospital.
• The first patent for a tree ever granted in the U.S. is the Moraine Locust tree.

• According to Business Week, despite fears of terrorism and high gasoline prices, Americans aren't holding back on vacations this year.
• Reuters is reporting that analysts anticipate a strong U.S. travel season in 2004
• American travelers generally feel confident in current security procedures, with most people reporting no change in their travel habits since 9/11, according to a recent AAA survey (June 2004).
• According to P-R Newswire, advanced bookings across all hotel brands are up five percent this summer. Most growth has been through the Internet with an approximately 50% increase in direct, online bookings across all brands.

On The Road

Here’s a sampling of where Bureau staff has recently been and is headed in our ongoing attempt to bring business to Dayton/Montgomery County:

Help Us Welcome These Groups!

CVB Staff

President/CEO:
Jacquelyn Y. Powell
Vice President, Finance & Human Resources:
Ian Groves
Director of Marketing & and Communications:
Beverly Rose
Director of Sales:
Jinny Perrin
Sales Managers:
Mary Bloyd, Ronald Eifert, Carmen Huffman
e-Sales & Telemarketing Coordinator:
Sara Schum
Convention Services Manager:
Donna Michael
Convention Services Coordinator:
Kelly Rowlands
Executive Assistant:
Gloria Saker
Administrative Assistant:
Joyce Fickert
Visitor Information Specialist:
Anita White
Housing Supervisor:
Betty Clark
Visitor Information:
Marvin Beavers, Steve Braverman, Foster “Bud” Brown, W.T. Brown, Birdie Bruce, Mikell “Mike” Kloeters, Jim Landefeld, Gwen Lee, Shirley Marbury, Martha Tollefson
Dayton Ambassadors:
Tim Connair, Delmar Dunning, Donna Edly, Harriet Fitzsimmons, Ina Green, Raymond Green, Bernadine Gregory, Betty Helwig, Patricia McEldowney, Christina Miller, Jane Moore, Dwight Morgan, Carol O’Connell, Geri Primm, Inge Rhinehelder, John Rhinehelder, Mary Lou Ruef, Monica Ruef, Lorna Schoenberger, Sarah Seagraves, Alan Twehues, Suzanne Twehues, and Carol Zimmerman

Board of Trustees

Chairman:
Alex Nyerges, Director & CEO, Dayton Art Institute
Vice-Chairman:
Debbie Watts, America’s Region Counsel, WCS Law, NCR Corporation
Secretary:
Larry Blake, Superintendent, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
At Large:
John Buntemeyer, General Manager, Dayton Marriott
Ex-Offici
Carol Cleavenger, Memorial Hall
General Counsel/Ex-Offici
Alan Schaeffer, Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling
President/CEO & Ex-Offici
Jacquelyn Y. Powell, Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Dan Brazelton, Dean Corporate & Community Services, Sinclair Community College
Bill Castro, Owner, El Meson Restaurant
Eric Deutsch, Vice President, Dayton Dragons
Jim Dupre, General Manager, Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Don Griffin, Vice President & General Manager, Radio One Dayton
Mike Jackson, Director, National Aviation Hall of Fame
Joe Lambright, CEO, American Red Cross
John E. Moore Jr., Executive Director, Wright-Dunbar Inc.
Robin Norman, General Manager, Fairfield Inn by Marriott
Cathy Ponitz, Director of Community Relations, Reynolds & Reynolds
Rene Ramos, General Manager, Doubletree Guest Suites
Tom Wamsley, Ex-Offici Office of Annual Support Director of the Presidents Club, University of Dayton
Larry Wheeler, General Manager, Dayton Airport Hotel