Picking the perfect holiday present doesn’t have to induce panic. Gift giving can be one of the most stressful parts of the holiday season (I won’t even get into awkward confessions from your inebriated relatives). What kind of gift should it be? How much should you spend? Will the present-getter be upset you didn’t spend more? Or will he or she be angry if you did spend a lot and it winds up being inequitable in value to the gift you received? So much pressure! Santa makes it look easy since his recipients are typically under the age of 8. Toys? Yes. Socks? No. Done. For the rest of us, there’s Activated Spaces.

What started out as an art project to give downtown Dayton properties some jazz hands has entered its second phase: pop-up retail. “The ultimate goal of Activated Spaces is to bring new life and vibrancy to downtown Dayton,” says updayton cofounder Scott Murphy. “Pop-up shops offer the flexibility small business owners need in an atmosphere that will let them ‘test drive’ a location before committing to a longer-term lease.”

For the inaugural round, three shops were chosen from a list of applicants to put their merch up for sale in selected locations. Beaute Box, located at 116 W. Fifth St., specializes in high-end nail and spa services. Situated at 519 E. Fifth St. is PEACE on Fifth, the retail arm of the Dayton International Peace Museum offering certified slave-free, eco-friendly and fair-trade products. Comfort and Joy, 521 E. Fifth St., is a warm and fuzzy co-op of women whose handmade goods are said to “get you through the coldest winter night.”

The gift you give someone is necessarily reflective of your opinion of the person receiving the present. This year, avoid the shrink-wrapped basket of “deluxe” bath items and for goodness’ sake, put DOWN the Chia pet! Choose to purchase a lovingly hand-crafted item or personal service from a local business. “I take pleasure in knowing my products weren’t mass-produced from an assembly line or concocted in some Frankenstein laboratory,” says Comfort and Joy’s Evelyn Gordon, who creates scented Mason jar candles in her kitchen to sell at the pop-up on Fifth. “In a small business, products are driven not only by retail performance, but by direct feedback from customers. If someone asks me to modify the scent of a candle—maybe add a hint of cinnamon or cloves—I can do that and come back with new, customer-driven products the next day.”

Matching local businesses with vacant storefronts, overseeing the placement process, outfitting each space with signage and décor, supporting marketing needs and helping small business owners navigate the retail industry is no small order, especially for a group of volunteers representing a variety of industries and professional backgrounds. “We are fortunate to have a good group of passionate people who care about seeing downtown succeed,” says entertainment purveyor Jay Nigro, a Generation Dayton member coordinating pop-up retail efforts. “Research shows time and again that spending money locally—purchasing goods and services from locally owned businesses—keeps that money circulating in a community. That money gets invested in schools, nonprofit groups and feeds into the tax base. Buying local helps create and support jobs and education right here in the Miami Valley.”

Taking advantage of the “try-before-you-buy” lease options Activated Spaces offers gives small business owners like Lisa Scott the opportunity to see how a location will work before committing to a longer-term lease. “Activated Spaces is a great way to get started in operating your own business,” the Beaute Box owner says. “You never know how a relationship will work out with a property owner if you’re leasing, or if your location will get the traffic you think it will until you get in a space, and I’m glad Activated Spaces offers this option to ‘test drive’ my location before I sign a long-term lease.”

So no matter what kind of gift, large or small, take the stress out of holiday shopping and remember to buy local this holiday season. Your purchase of a handcrafted item undoubtedly will make the season merry and bright for your recipient and the families of the local merchants and artisans. Revitalizing the local economy is the gift that keeps on giving, unlike a leopard-print Snuggie.

For those of you who don’t know, Portfolio is a creative staffing agency based in Columbus. They match employers with talent for either freelance or full-time assignments. They handle design, writing, interactive, and project management.

We caught up with Portfolio co-owner Kristen Harris to ask how things are going  and what they have in store moving forward.

Sam: Kristen, I know Portfolio expanded into Dayton about a couple years ago. How’s that going?

Kristen: Dayton is good, it’s a really creative and welcoming community. We’ve built nice client relationships in the area, and we’re are always meeting fantastic creative talent here.

It’s interesting to work on new and different projects or searches, and to see how the needs of our Dayton clients vary from what we see in Columbus. That learning process and building relationships is a lot fun for me and our team!

Sam: Has the expansion been worthwhile for your business?

Kristen: It has been worthwhile, in many ways. Of course working with new clients and talent is wonderful, but this move also allowed us to explore and learn about expanding into cities beyond Columbus. We plan on doing more of that, and Dayton was an excellent first venture out beyond our home base.

We’ve learned some really valuable things, like how to connect with the right people in a new city and weighing whether we really need a physical office (for us, that answer was not really).

Sam: Sounds like Portfolio has grown a lot the past few years. Why is that?

Kristen: Yes, we have grown. There are a lot of factors, but I think the biggest one is that we understand and truly care about our clients and talent.

Catherine [Portfolio co-owner] and I started this business because we needed help finding the right creative people to work with us when we were designers and art directors. I would have loved to utilize a company like ours, but it simply didn’t exist. Having that industry experience and ability to figure out what someone really needs (which may be different than what they ask for) has proven to be extremely important.

As is connecting with our creative talent to really understand what they need and are looking for in their career. When we add someone to our internal team, we’re always looking for industry experience—we can teach the recruiting and staffing piece, but we can’t teach a passion for working with creative people.

Sam: Why should freelancers think about working with Portfolio, rather than pursuing business directly with various companies? Wouldn't it be better to "cut out the middleman" and do it yourself?

Kristen: It really depends on what you do and what your goals are.

If you’re looking to build up a business, have solid experience and connections, have a steady stream of work well into the future, and are comfortable marketing yourself, you’re probably doing great on your own. These tend to be people who are established freelancers, have a solid client base, are well-known in the market, and truly want to work independently and run their own business.

If you’re missing any of those key pieces, a company like ours can be a good resource to fill that gap, whether it’s finding more work, building up experience, or making connections in the local creative community.

Sam: Who's the best fit for you guys? Experienced freelancers or newbies?

Kristen: Both. There are a lot of factors that go into making the perfect match with one of our clients—skill set and experience level matter, but so do soft skills, personality, availability (our clients generally need people onsite at their location), and whether the rate fits their budget.

Most clients are looking for some professional experience, but it really depends on the position they need to fill and what other support they already have on their team. We have clients who are looking for the whole range, from recent grads to experienced executive-level creatives, and everything in between.

Of course, what we’re looking for is always based on what our clients are looking for. So right now interactive design and/or development and writing specifically for marketing or advertising are really top on their lists. But recently we’ve placed graphic designers, creative project managers, account managers, writers, developers, visual merchandising specialists, photo retouchers, illustrators … it’s a wide variety. And we never know what a client will ask for next!

Sam: Dayton is a small community. If you had a full-time job but wanted to look around, could you turn to Portfolio? Is there a truly confidential way to work with you guys?

Kristen: We are a vault. Confidentiality is extremely important to us, as it is to our clients and talent. The nature of our business is that we know a lot of things about a lot of people and companies, and we keep it all to ourselves.

If you’re working somewhere and just want to explore around for other options, that’s a great time to talk to us. We may not have the perfect opportunity for you right now, but if we know who you are and what you’re looking for, we’ll know it when we see it. The best time to look for a job is when you already have a job.

Sam: Anything else a creative should know about Portfolio?

Kristen: The more we know about you and what you’re looking for, the better opportunity we have to make a good match with one of our clients.

We work with a lot of creative companies and departments both in Columbus and Dayton, and we know what they’re looking for. Not just what they say or put in their online job description, but what they’re really looking for.

When we work together, it’s a partnership with the end goal of finding the right fit for our client, and getting you into the right place for the next step in your career. I think we’re pretty fun and friendly. People should feel free to reach out to us any time through the site at portfolioiscreative.com or call us at 614.839.4897.

Sam: Thanks, Kristen!

Samantha Enslen runs Dragonfly Editorial.

~ By Rebecca Bernard, DCS PR Coordinator

Dayton Creative Syndicate is proud to participate in Activated Spaces, a program started by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Generation Dayton, and updayton as a way to bring life to downtown Dayton’s empty spaces. This installation, commandeered by Public Service Coordinator Artie Toth, is part of the first phase of Activated Spaces, where empty downtown storefronts are beautified by artwork made right here in Dayton. Each installation is meant to feature a unique part of the city and is refreshed bi-annually in conjunction with Urban Nights.

Using graphic design, set and interior design, landscape painting and screen-printing, DCS brings the Historic South Park neighborhood to life in the Biltmore Towers’ empty storefronts on the corner of Main and First streets. This mixed media message is an appropriate project to reflect South Park’s national "Neighborhood of the Year" recognition for the physical rejuvenation of the area. Like the residents who came together to restore their district, DCS’ creative members joined forces to showcase South Park’s community improvements, narratives and entertainment.

The Dayton Creative Syndicate chose the South Park neighborhood because the spirit of the neighborhood—creativity, culture, entertainment, community and betterment—reflects what DCS looks for in our own members. It is hoped the displays will encourage viewers, whether new to the area or long-time residents, to go take a look at South Park and see it with new eyes. Involvement with Activated Spaces is key to DCS, as we care for the welfare of our downtown area, and as our organization’s profile in the community grows, so does visibility for new member involvement and exciting new opportunities.

As time goes on, Activated Spaces will progress to its projected second stage, where temporary retail events will "pop up" in vacant spaces. The final phase of the project is soliciting businesses looking to open in downtown Dayton, giving new life to our city center.

DCS would like to thank Digital Fringe for their contribution of vinyl printing, without which the project would not have been possible. We would also like to thank Agust Roestamadji for the paintings features in the display. If you would like to help DCS with future Activated Spaces displays, please contact Artie Toth at artie.toth@creativesyndicate.org

Please vote for our Activated Spaces installation for the People's Choice Award! Voting ends this Friday, September 30.

As spring is happily arriving in our community, so too is an enlivened spirit of optimism and regrowth. Recently, a collective of young creative professionals from updayton and Generation Dayton has begun taking part in a unique revitalization project for downtown, part of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan. The project is called “Activated Spaces.”

The goal of Activated Spaces is to give new life to vacant storefronts downtown by using creative displays and encouraging new entrepreneurial opportunities. Rather than simply complaining about a lack of vibrancy downtown, these motivated professionals are taking matters into their own hands and contributing directly to Dayton’s revitalization.

The first phase of the Activated Spaces project, to beautify vacant storefronts with artwork and visual displays, is already underway. In February, an open call went out asking artists in the community to submit proposals describing their creative vision for an empty street-level space.

Our own Dayton Creative Syndicate’s public service committee, headed up by Artie Toth, submitted a concept that was accepted and will attractively fill one of the vacancies, and promote Fleurs et Vin, a wine and gourmet food festival coming up May 22 at Carillon Park. This concept, among others, will be finished in time for the upcoming Urban Nights event on May 13. DCS’s prints were donated courtesy of Insignia Signs and the photography was donated by Jim Crotty. You can see the DCS Activated Space at The Biltmore Retail Shops, 13 East First Street.

My hope is that Activated Spaces not only encourages you to seek out these revived storefronts during Urban Nights and other downtown events, but also inspires you to get your own hands dirty. Being a creative professional doesn’t end with your own career advancement, accolades, and achievements. In my opinion, being a true creative professional also involves harnessing your creative spirit in a way that empowers and enriches the world around you.

Living in Dayton, we are often confronted with negative perceptions about our community. We can sulk about these negative perceptions, or we can turn them around. And isn’t that ultimately the role of the artist in a community? I challenge you to prove to yourself and others that Dayton is in fact a town with a whole lot of heart.

If you are interested in more information about this project, volunteers are currently developing detailed short- and long-term goals and estimated project budgets. Those interested in getting involved should e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

By This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Dayton photographer and hip creative

Check out 17 local artists’ displays “Celebrating Dayton” in windows throughout downtown. Vote for your favorite by scanning QR codes or filling out a ballot you can pick up at Courthouse Square. The Urban Nights People’s Choice winner will receive gallery space at Cannery Art and Design Center.

H1   The Biltmore 13 E. First St. - Dayton Creative Syndicate.
H2   Main Street Garage - Amanda Allen, Carol Stoops.
H3   124 N. Jefferson - Jason Eckley, Jacqui Theobald.
H4   100 E. Third St. - Charles Stough, Suki Kwon, Dayton Regional STEM School.
H5   113 E. Third St. - Cindi & Bob Remm.
H6   146 E. Third St. - Focus Photo Club.
H7   110 W. Fifth St. - Lea Richards.
H8   Talbot Tower - Robin Dakin, Warren Buckler and project judges’ art.
H9   St. Clair Lofts - Shulamit Adler, Terrianne Swift, K12 Gallery.
H10 401 E. Fifth St. - Tracy Kraft.