Latest news with #EdinaSeleskovic
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Demonstrations of peace; How the NATO Assembly inspires artists
In the hustle and bustle of a busy NATO Assembly already underway in Dayton, visitors can participate in these various artistic and historical exhibits throughout the city. Renowned artist Edina Seleskovic is bringing her artistic gifts to Dayton for the installation of 'Thinking Freedom at the Dayton Arcade rotunda. News Center 7's Xavier Hershovitz visited the art display inspired by Seleskovic's story as an exchange student. The Bosnian-born artist said she came to the U.S. in 1991. Seleskovic said she couldn't return to her home country after the school year was over because a major war had started in Bosnia. Thirteen years ago, Seleskovic was finally able to return to Bosnia, and that's where the idea for the project came from. On each of the metal doves featured in the exhibit, people's answers to the question 'What does freedom mean to you?' are written on them. 'I realized that art and culture can be messengers. They can be connectors. They have permission to cross borders and barriers,' Seleskovic said. Installation began May 18 and was first open to the public on Wednesday. The exhibit is free and open to the public during select times May 21-31. 'By combining art, history, and community engagement, we hope to honor the past, celebrate the progress made, and inspire future generations to continue striving for peace and unity,' a spokesperson for Culture Works said on their website. For more information, visit The Christ Episcopal Church on West First Street in Dayton is hosting a 'Sanctuary for Peace,' a community gathering to offer prayers for peace and maintain a vigil for peace during the NATO Assembly. The event is open to people of all faiths. The church is located near the center of the secure zone of NATO Village, but Christ Episcopal Church said their church 'will not stand empty.' 'This event is for everyone in the community who wishes to offer words of encouragement and support for the work of peace, both through NATO and throughout the world,' a spokesperson for Christ Episcopal Church said on their website. Guided prayers will be offered at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day from May 22 to May 26. For more information, visit This exhibit will feature artifacts and stories that celebrate everything to do with Dayton's legacy. It will celebrate the Wright Brothers' groundbreaking inventions and innovations in aviation. It will celebrate the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords. It will also contain historical items from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. 'By opening the doors of the Old Montgomery County Courthouse to the public, we're not only honoring the past, but we're making it accessible and relevant to the next generation. This is especially important for our young people. When students walk through these halls and see exhibits that showcase both local innovation and natural history, they can see themselves as part of that ongoing story,' Montgomery County Commissioner Carolyn Rice said. The exhibit will be open throughout the NATO Assembly and will remain open to the public from May 27 to May 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The courthouse's first floor will be open for tours. World-renowned conductor Marin Alsop will stand in front of the Sarajevo Philharmonic and the Dayton Philharmonic and lead them through a 'once-in-a-lifetime musical event that unites cultures and celebrates the power of peace.' In a showcase of how 'music transcends boundaries to inspire harmony and connection,' the two philharmonics will come together for one night only at the Schuster Center on May 29 at 8 p.m. The philharmonics will perform Bernstein's 'Candide Overture,' Vaughan Williams' 'Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis,' and Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 5.' For more information, visit
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New art exhibit at Arcade emphasizes peace, unity, freedom
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A global art exhibition has made its way to downtown Dayton in time for the opening of the NATO spring session. 'Think Freedom' is an interactive installation highlighting themes of peace, unity and freedom. Four hundred metallic birds now hang in the Dayton Arcade's rotunda, each carrying messages of peace from young people around the world, including the Miami Valley. More on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly 2025 Spring Session in Dayton 'Think Freedom' debuted 10 years ago in Bosnia and has traveled to 26 cities worldwide. But Dayton is its first time on American soil. 'Even more significant is this connection between Bosnia and Dayton and the fact the Dayton has played such a part in creating this peace accord that has kept peace,' said Edina Seleskovic. 'I think it's really incredible for me as somebody who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, somebody who came to United States as an exchange student and as somebody who couldn't go back home because the war started.' The 'Think Freedom' project took more than six months to complete, with help from Miami Valley students ranging from middle school to college. Residents, workers grappling with downtown NATO closures 'I was so happy to see how many of them joined in, how many of them shared their ideas,' said Seleskovic. 'How many of them keep kept asking questions, and how many of them were willing to share their thoughts so publicly.' As Dayton hosts the 2025 NATO Spring Session, marking 30 years since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, 'Think Freedom' carries even more meaning. How Dayton played a role in the ending of the Bosnian War 'I really hope for the visitors who are going to come to the Arcade, whether they're living in Dayton or visiting, to make them realize that there is more, beyond the news and the media and the politics,' said Seleskovic. 'That they're young people who really depend on the decisions that they make.'Think Freedom will stay open until the first week in June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Art installation to be displayed during NATO summit in Dayton
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Rep. Mike Turner announced Monday that a public art installation will be on display during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session in May. 'Think Freedom,' a comprehensive public art project, will be on display in the Dayton Arcade this May. This is the first time the Sarajevo-based art piece will be on display in the United States. 'The arrival of the 'Think Freedom' art installation in Dayton for Dayton 2025 is a powerful symbol of resilience, unity, and the enduring pursuit of freedom,' said Congressman Mike Turner. The piece incorporates sculpture, installation, light, text and new global communication technologies to make a statement. 'I believe that art still has the universal power to inspire, that art can give impulses of hope, imagination, and creativity in order to build freedom and connectivity – simply put, to build a better world,' said Edina Seleskovic, Creator, Think Freedom. Local schools and artists of the Miami Valley will help the creator during installation by sharing their words and phrases of peace. 'Think Freedom' will be on display to the public May 21-31 in the Rotunda of the Dayton Arcade at 31 S. Main Street. Click here for updates on viewing times and activities. To learn more about the piece and the creator, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
