DAYTON’S ENDOWMENTFOR THE ARTS
Our Mission
The Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts’ mission is to
provide long-term financial support to Dayton’s non-profit professional arts organizations.
Origins
The Foundation was founded in 1965 as a Trust Fund. Hundreds of area citizens made contributions to create the corpus. Leadership for the Trust initially was provided by Eugene Kettering, David Rike and Robert Oelman. A Trust Committee was formed of volunteers who took responsibility for investing the funds and for making grants to the arts. By the early 1980s, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Ballet and Dayton Opera were the primary recipients of the grant monies.
Evolutions of Focus
As the Dayton community’s appetite increased for a quality cultural life, and as various arts organizations increased their own development capabilities, the Rosenthal Trust began focusing its funding on specific projects — projects that could have significant impact on the community, on the quality of its arts offerings, and that might not happen if special funding sources were not secured.
Yesterday & Today
Over the years, other changes occurred in the operations of the Trust. The name was changed to foundation rather than trust; the trust committee evolved into a board; the grant program became more sophisticated; the foundation’s corpus grew through contributions and professional management.
Dayton Foundation Partnership
As a culminating mark for the 60th year, the Board of the Foundation made the decision to partner with The Dayton Foundation as a component fund. This change will enable the legacy of the Foundation, its honoree, and its mission to be protected. The Advisory Committee of the Foundation (formerly the board) through its grants program will continue to support opportunities to truly enrich Dayton and its cultural life
60th Anniversary Arts Season
The 2025-2026 arts season marked the 60th Anniversary of the Rosenthal Foundation. Four anniversary projects were funded to mark this special occasion and to help the arts grow.
The 2025-2026 Art Season included the following performances:
- Muse Machine: Summer Musical
- Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra: Opening Concert with Keitaro Harada and Garrick Ohlsson
- Dayton Opera: Carmen
- Dayton Ballet and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company: Rhythm of the City
What’s Next
Grant Projects During the 2026-27 Arts Season
The upcoming arts season that begins on July 1st promises to be one of change and excitement. Programming changes already announced are designed, in part, to attract new audience members and to grow the arts in quality and scope. Two new Artistic Directors – one for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and one for the Dayton Opera – will begin to influence the performances the community will enjoy. The Rosenthal Foundation continues its support of the arts by underwriting several projects beginning in the summer with youth arts camps and spreading throughout the season with various ticketed programs. Here is a summary of projects underwritten by the Foundation.
West Side Story
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance will open the 2026-27 Season on September 26 & 27 with a full production of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. All three of the artforms under the DPAA umbrella will play key roles in this production. The Dayton Opera, its outgoing Artistic Director, Kathleen Clawson, and Joe Deer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Musical Theatre at Wright State University, will manage the theatrical and vocal aspects; the Dayton Ballet’s Artistic Director, Brandon Ragland, will lead the dancers through Jerome Robbins’ original choreography; and the Dayton Philharmonic, under the direction of Artistic and Music Director, Keitaro Harada, will accompany the production. Numerous guest vocalists have been contracted for key roles. Seeing West Side Story with its soaring voices and electric energy promises to be a memorable experience at the Schuster Center. Contact the DPAA for more information.
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance will open the 2026-27 Season on September 26 & 27 with a full production of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. All three of the artforms under the DPAA umbrella will play key roles in this production. The Dayton Opera, its outgoing Artistic Director, Kathleen Clawson, and Joe Deer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Musical Theatre at Wright State University, will manage the theatrical and vocal aspects; the Dayton Ballet’s Artistic Director, Brandon Ragland, will lead the dancers through Jerome Robbins’ original choreography; and the Dayton Philharmonic, under the direction of Artistic and Music Director, Keitaro Harada, will accompany the production. Numerous guest vocalists have been contracted for key roles. Seeing West Side Story with its soaring voices and electric energy promises to be a memorable experience at the Schuster Center. Contact the DPAA for more information.
K12 Gallery and Tejas is offering a summer experience entitled “From Earth to Outer Space – Love All Beings” culminating in a fiber mural installation in downtown Dayton. The goal is to create a space that invites the community to pause, breathe, and recognize the vastness of the world they inhabit. The creative process is open to people of all ages. Their experience will explore a variety of fiber art techniques, including fabric dyeing, printing, painting, and weaving. It is anticipated that various groups will each create a panel or section of the mural – each giving a unique perspective of the overall theme. A team of professional artists will lead the project. It is hoped that the installation will be completed by August 1st when Dayton celebrates “Art in the City”. Contact the K12 Gallery for more information and enrollment.
The Human Race Theatre Company will launch “Camp DNA” (Developing New Artists). A three-week full day intensive camp for high schoolers. Training and masterclasses will cover the entire scope of theatre production: acting, playwriting and directing, and theatre tech – lighting, sound, scenic and backstage basics. The camp experience will culminate in the presentation of the play Winter Break by Joe Calarco. Scholarships are available for participants who might not otherwise be able to take advantage of this opportunity. Contact The Human Race for details and application.
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance has planned a special performance with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra entitled Symphony Masala. This performance will feature Roger Kalia, conductor, and Anuradha “Juju” Palakurthi, vocalist. Both guests have brought this program that offers the fusion of Bollywood and Indian classical music to other symphony orchestras with remarkable success. Not only does this program bring a new repertoire to the Philharmonic Orchestra, but it invites the participation of a growing Asian American (especially Indian) population in the Dayton area. This special concert does not appear on any of the DPAA’s concert series and thus is sold separately. Contact the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance or the Dayton Live Ticket Center for more information.
Bach Society Celebrates America250
The Bach Society of Dayton will inaugurate in 2026-27 season in October with the presentation of an original composition for orchestra and chorus that celebrates America’s 250th anniversary. Local poet Sierra Leone will write original text for the chorus. A second performance of this work will be presented on November 8th at the Arbogast Performing Arts Center in Troy. The Troy concert provides residents in the northern Miami Valley with a chance to experience a concert by the Bach Society. Dr. David Crean, Music Director of the Bach Society, will conduct the performance. Contact bachsocietyofdayton.org or arbogastpac.com for tickets and more information.