#SHINEONDAYTON
We are Carli & Hamilton Dixon, artists and business owners in downtown Dayton for nearly a decade, and residents of downtown for over two decades. Carli is the co-owner of Bloombeads by freezeframe (bloombeads.com), a local company that has specialized in preserving meaningful flowers as jewelry and art since 1996. Hamilton is a local metal sculptor (hamiltondixon.com) whose work can be see at the Dayton Art Institute, The University of Dayton, and Hospice of Dayton, along with many other public and private installations.
When NCR and other major corporations were leaving Dayton in 2008-09, we had a realization that this town had sustained us as full-time artisans, a gift and a privilege that we did not take lightly. So instead of leaving like so many others were during that time, we decided to dig deeper roots. We purchased three abandoned commercial properties at 811, 817 & 905 E. Third Street, with the hope of creating the community in which we wanted to live.
Ever since then, we have been slowly breathing life back into the buildings. The Brightside is located in the 905 E. Third Street building, which was 18,000 sq. ft. filled with abandoned clothes and trash when we purchased it (see photos below). But over the last 10 years, we have worked to clean it out, restore all of its services, and renovate it to become Dayton's newest music & event venue.
What we knew back then, and what still resonates for us now, is that this town is special, even though people over the years haven't always been able to see its true luster. Noteworthy and authentic things have been happening in this town since its inception, whether the rest of the world noticed or not. With that history and heritage, we could not think of any better love letter to our city than to breathe life into this building and create a destination that makes Daytonians proud.
It has been a long and difficult road, so we are thrilled to be at this point in the story. We invite you to stop in and introduce yourself soon; we truly look forward to welcoming you! #shineondayton
- Carli & Hamilton Dixon
