Lives Loved, Captured on Film
Online auction features portraits taken by late Tipp City photographer Barbara Bailey
A hundred and thirty photographs taken by the late Barbara Jo Bailey are available to bid on via an online auction benefiting The Contemporary Dayton, the Dayton region’s contemporary art center.
Available artwork can be seen at codayton.org/livesloved. The auction, titled “Lives Loved,” is open until midnight on Feb. 29.
The artwork in The Contemporary’s auction includes portraits taken by Bailey of children, mothers, and families from around the world. They represent about a third of Bailey’s collection, which includes hundreds of prints of landscapes, wild animals, birds, and various peoples taken on her visits to more than 110 countries. Those countries included Cambodia, Iran, Libya, Mali, Nepal, Peru, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and many others. Bailey traveled anywhere, The Contemporary notes, “that she could use her camera to build relationships with strangers when there was no common language.”
Barbara's daughter, Heather Bailey, explains why she and her brother Grant chose to work with The Contemporary, also known as “The Co.” In short, they wanted “to give their mother’s art a second life.”
“When Barbara passed away in 2023,” Heather explains, “she left behind hundreds of photographs that she’d taken on her trips around the world. We didn’t want them to go into a landfill; we wanted them to somehow do good.”
“We approached The Co and asked a simple question: ‘Could you use this art to maximize your mission?’ They said ‘Absolutely, yes.’ They already had experience putting on successful online fundraisers, so setting up an auction of her work was an easy fit.”
The Co was founded in 1991 as the Dayton Visual Arts Center. The Center rebranded in 2018 as The Contemporary, and in 2021 moved into a 6,224-square-foot space in the refurbished Dayton Arcade. Today, the gallery showcases local and national artists, hosts art events, and conducts educational activities.
“We had originally approached the Dayton Art Institute,” says Heather, “but they were not interested. What we learned is that The Co showcases art from people with a broad range of artistic backgrounds, and they like to feature artists that are not going to hang in a traditional museum. I think Barbara would enjoy knowing that she’s being featured by The Co because she never wanted to be thought of as a traditional person. She marched to her own drum. The Co understands that, and they’re making that part of the story in presenting her art.”
The Co’s executive director, Eva Buttacavoli, agrees.
“First and foremost,” Eva says, “Barbara was an extraordinarily gifted photographer—so when the work is this good, it is our privilege and mission to present it to the community. To both honor Barbara and turn the donation into operational support, we decided to set up the online auction.”
“We thought it would be perfect to have it take place in February—the month of love—to reflect the love that Barbara had for her subjects and the love in the eyes and smiles of the mothers and children depicted in the photographs.”
Barbara Bailey’s artwork can be viewed by visiting codayton.org/livesloved. Anyone can browse the available artworks for free, but you must register to bid. Sales of the artwork support The Co's 12 annual exhibitions and 30+ education programs featuring local and national artists.