Arts and Culture

The Piqua Arts Council was founded in 1991 by a group of concerned citizens who felt there was a need for an organized group to sponsor and promote the arts. The council provides art enrichment activities for each grade level in the Piqua City School and Piqua Catholic School systems, reaching nearly 4700 school-age children. In addition, summer music in the park concert series is provided for our community and the Unity Bank Fine Arts Exhibit and Sale held every May.

Since 1996, Music Warehouse has given the youth of our community the opportunity to experience the arts through dance, vocals and drama. This community sponsored organization performs each summer for over 1000 people in a Broadway style show on stage at our local park pavilion. Outdoor concerts are a mainstay during the summer months in the Hance Pavilion at Fountain Park and couldn’t be done without the Piqua Civic Band, a community tradition for over 60 years.

Step back in time at the Piqua Historical Area. Tour the 174-acre Johnston Farm and Indian Agency, which is the last of the Federal Indian agencies in Ohio. Restored buildings, include the original 1814 farmhouse, springhouse, reconstructed cider house, fruit kiln, woodshed, and features the oldest log barn in Ohio. Then take a ride on the General Harrison canal boat, which travels on a restored mile-long segment of the Miami-Erie Canal. Visit the Piqua Heritage Festival on Labor Day weekend. This three day event held at the Johnston Farm features demonstrations, reenactments, and displays from mid 18th through the late 19th centuries.

What’s more, the arts venues in the Dayton Region offer both the quantity and quality of arts typically found in much larger metropolitan areas. Per capita, Dayton offers more arts organizations (85) than 79% of all similar sized metropolitan areas. In fact, the Dayton Region ranked 33rd in the nation out of 373 metropolitan areas in arts and culture. Significant regional arts venues and organizations include:

• The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, which is recognized as the premiere acoustically perfect performance hall in the country.
• Dayton Contemporary Dance Co. (DCDC), which has been called “one of the greatest arts institutions in the nation” by Michael Kaiser, President, Kennedy Center.
• Cityfolk – in 2005, it was one of two winners of the CMAcclaim award given to organizations whose music has deeply impacted their community.
• The Dayton Ballet – the second oldest dance company in the nation and the only dance company in the nation that funds the development of new ballets.
• The Dayton Art Institute ranks in the top 3% of all North American art museums in 3 out of 4 measurements.

To learn more about the arts, entertainment and recreational opportuntities in the region, please visit the Miami County Visitors Bureau.