Remembering Greg Dearth | A Retrospective Exhibition
Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 PM
The Dayton Society of Artists presents a retrospective exhibition celebrating the life and work of Gregory Montfort Dearth (Greg Dearth), an accomplished artist, illustrator, and longtime member of the Dayton arts community.
Greg, who recently passed away, was a dedicated artist and educator whose career spanned commercial illustration, wood engraving, drawing, and portrait painting. His work received national recognition and was exhibited in galleries and private collections throughout the United States.
Greg was also a valued member of the Dayton Society of Artists community, where he taught our Instructed Figure Drawing sessions, sharing his knowledge and experience with fellow artists.
Presented in the DSA Project Space in conjunction with our annual Small but Mighty 2026 members' exhibition, this retrospective brings together a selection of Greg's artwork in recognition of his artistic achievements and contributions to the Dayton arts community.
We invite you to join us for the opening reception as we remember Greg and celebrate his life and work.
Exhibition Dates: November 14, 2026 – January 1, 2027
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 14 | 6:00–8:00 PM
Gallery Hours:
Fridays | 4:00–8:00 PM
Saturdays | 12:00–5:00 PM
Location:
Dayton Society of Artists – Project Space
48 High Street
Dayton, OH 45403
Admission is free and open to the public.
About Greg Dearth
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Gregory Montfort Dearth graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1971.
During his long career in art, he worked as a designer, illustrator, photographer, and wood engraver, supplying blocks for handmade books. After studying at the Sander School of Engraving near Chicago, the esoteric art of wood engraving (and eventually scratchboard) led him into commercial illustration.
As a commercial illustrator, Greg worked for book publishing houses, Fortune 500 companies, and virtually every major advertising agency in the U.S. His art was the subject of a worldwide promotion by Champion Papers that won several awards.
Greg’s illustration work was widely recognized and received many honors, including recognition in the juried Society of Illustrators annual shows, the New York One Show, various Art Directors Clubs, as well as the juried annuals of Communication Arts, American Illustration, and Print magazines.
In 2001, Greg received an award for his artistic contributions, including a mural, for the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was a guest lecturer and instructor at Columbus College of Art and Design and Atlanta’s Portfolio Center.
Although an award-winning commercial illustrator, Greg’s passion for fine art led him to focus on portraiture. His love of paintings by artists such as Frans Hals and Henry Raeburn led to intense research into their methods. He studied privately with K. C. Wells, Judith Carducci, and Nelson Shanks at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia.
Greg’s portraits combine the look and values of classical portrait painting with contemporary society. It is this connection with the past that many find so unique in his work.
Greg’s paintings have been exhibited in numerous galleries and are part of many private collections throughout the U.S. He was a former member of the Portrait Society of America and the Dayton Visual Arts Center. Greg taught many workshops, as well as a portrait painting class at the Dayton Art Institute and drawing and oil painting classes at Rosewood Art Center in Kettering.
Greg also taught Instructed Figure Drawing at the Dayton Society of Artists, where he shared his extensive knowledge and experience with artists in our community.
