Meet Tommy!

Tommy Ballard led the Dayton community in a fun and fascinating hands-on weaving project at the Dayton Art Institute. The Pattern Project encouraged museum guests of all ages to explore textile art in the Stories in Cloth exhibition through the lens of color and pattern. Guests discovered ikat weaving and learned about the art of dyeing with hand-dyed yarns made of natural and synthetic colors inspired by textiles from around the world. Visit the Lange Family Experiencenter during your next visit to the Dayton Art Institute. Textile artworks created by the Pattern Project are inspired by the layering of patterns, colors, letters and motifs, and combining color themes from different sources.

Tommy Ballard is an artist, writer and educator from Dayton, Ohio, working in textiles, print media and creative writing. His creative practices are focused on making larger-than-life installations that blend art, craft and the written word.