Jeff Pizza & Nat Croumer

Dayton, which has done so much for us, while indulging our shared life-long interest in art in a way that leveraged our talent, time and money,” said Jeff and Nat. “It is important to us to be involved when serving on a board; the Associate Board is a truly working board that calls on the talents of all 64 of its members to bring Art Ball and Oktoberfest, the DAI’s signature events, to the community. It was a tremendously rewarding experience, and we made lasting and close friendships along the way.”

The Dayton Art Institute has been an integral part of Nat Croumer and Jeff Pizza’s life for more than a decade. They have been loyal and generous friends to the museum in a multitude of ways, including serving on the Associate Board, as Art Ball Chairs, on the Board of Trustees (Jeff is in his first three-year term) and as event sponsors and donors. Jeff and Nat are frequent visitors to the museum and chose it as their wedding location in 2016.

Nat and Jeff feel a strong connection to the DAI saying “it is a cornerstone of Dayton’s cultural, artistic and multicultural experience. It is for EVERYONE, and its programming, outreach and collections have inspired many generations before and will continue to do so in the future. In the last several years, we’ve been excited to see a broader and more diverse audience at the museum, which shows both its commitment and importance to the WHOLE community.

At last year’s Community Day at the museum, we spoke with a woman who told us she had just bought a membership so she could share the DAI with her daughter and granddaughter. Her mother had taken her to the DAI when she was a child, and she said it had given her the chance to dream. That is what the DAI does for Dayton.”

Jeff and Nat’s connection to the DAI started with their time in service as Associate Board members. “We felt being a part of the Associate Board would be a great way to give back to

Nat and Jeff so enjoyed their time as Associate Board members, they opted to take on a key leadership role as Art Ball Chairs. As art lovers, they were particularly excited to choose a signature piece for that year. “Having been honored to be selected by our Associate Board friends as Art Ball CoChairs, we visited the museum and spent several hours going through all the galleries, looking at each piece in the display collection, understanding the history and meaning, and hoping to have that ‘aha!’ moment,” Nat and Jeff recall. “When we saw the de Kooning, we both knew––that was it! The vibrancy of the colors and movement in the painting underscore the vitality, flair and excitement the DAI brings to the community. Our take on art is, expensive or not, widely known or obscure, it has to move you. The de Kooning delivered.”

Jeff and Nat’s support of the Dayton Art Institute centers around DAI’s new Mission, Through art, we create transformative and diverse experiences, strengthen community connections and inspire imagination. “The DAI is accessible to EVERYONE––young or old; city resident or suburbanite; people from every economic, social, ethnic and diverse stratum,” Jeff and Nat assure. “It is widely known for Oktoberfest and Art Ball, but once you go in the doors, your world is opened to one beyond your own––Africa, Asia, Europe, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Impressionists––the DAI is a gateway to expand your horizons. In providing Dayton with centuries of cultural heritage that carry right up to the present day, it brings Daytonians together. An extraordinary collection, educational programming, fantastic events, inclusion, community outreach––the DAI has something for everyone.”