Dublin Arts Council Executive Director David Guion to Retire ​

Dublin Arts Council Board President Kayln Bartley announced today that Executive Director David S. Guion, has notified the organization of his intention to retire, effective March 31, 2025. Guion has served Dublin Arts Council for 20 years.

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Guion's leadership has profoundly strengthened Dublin Arts Council, positioning the organization as a thriving nonprofit arts organization and regional leader in public art and arts education. 

 

In collaboration with City of Dublin, Guion has overseen public support invested in public art projects and accompanying educational programs.
As a direct result of Guion's vision, Dublin's collection has expanded to include more than 70 permanent, temporary and interactive public art projects today. Dublin’s Art in Public Places program has received national and international attention as it sets the standard for best practices in public art administration. 

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Guion asserts that public art is a participatory experience in which the community plays a critical role in exchanging ideas, allowing those who engage to learn from one another and stretching the imagination through the creative process. His commitment to nurturing public art as a process gives artists a voice and engages the community through dialogue. 

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To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Dublin's Art in Public Places,
Guion led the charge in creating Dublin's first Public Art Master Plan, which was adopted by City Council in 2021. The plan expands the definition of public art in the community to include artist-led permanent, temporary, community, and participatory artworks. The plan also establishes the Public Art Board, Dublin's first advisory group of community members who review public art proposals and make recommendations to Dublin City Council. 

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In 2015, Guion was invited to New Zealand for the International Award for Public Art. The award which recognizes outstanding socially engaged art projects. There, he presented Dublin Arts Council's trademark public art program Riverboxes™. Conceived in 2007, The Riverbox program has been celebrated as a trailblazing program in the gamification of public art and
has earned Dublin Arts Council a top 1% geocacher in the U.S. by Geocaching.com. 

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Empowering artists has been a lifelong mandate for Guion. Under his leadership, Dublin Arts Council fostered relationships with hundreds of

local, regional, national, and international artists through exhibitions, artist residencies, community events and workshops. 

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Dublin Arts Council has received both invitational and competitive grant awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous prestigious awards from various organizations, including Ohio Arts Council, Groundworks Group, Puffin Foundation West, PNC Arts Alive and Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio. 

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Guion's leadership has continued to keep the Dublin Arts Council relevant,
valued and essential. Guion has been recognized for his leadership as a Smart 50 awardee by Smart Business magazine in 2015 and Business Person of the Year by the Dublin, Ohio Chamber of Commerce in 2021. He has served as a grant panelist for the Ohio Arts Council, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and Culture Works in Dayton, Ohio. 

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For over 35 years, Guion has worked with nonprofit arts organizations and educational institutions in New York City, the Bay Area of California and Columbus, Ohio. He received an M.A. in Art Education from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 1988 and his Ph.D. in Art Education from OSU in 2008. Guion serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy at OSU. He has conducted fundraising seminars and workshops for a wide variety of nonprofit organizations and arts professionals in Chile, England, New Zealand, Ohio, Poland, Taiwan and Scotland. He serves on the CreativeOhio board and has served as president of the board of OhioDance. Guion currently serves as a member of the Public Art Steering Committee for the city of Columbus. ​

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Dublin Arts Council Education and Development Manager Katy Marque will serve as interim executive director. More details regarding filling the executive director position will be forthcoming. 

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