Shoot from the hip

When he was a boy, his artistic-minded parents would take him to the Dayton Art Institute, where he was dazzled by the paintings, sculptures and photos of world-class artists.

Today, Matthew Helton, a fine art and photography student at Wright State University, has his work displayed in the same space as the artists he looked up to.

Helton and two other Wright State students — Nanci Payne and Nancy Shuler — have their artwork displayed at the museum as part of the Yeck College Artist Fellowship. The show opened in May and runs through Aug. 19.

“Matt Helton’s work, which is blurred photography so shooting from the hip, kind of the journey between two different places,” said Christine Flemming, a museum educator at the Dayton Art Institute. “There’s a big variety, but they’re all very interesting.”

“Wright State University not only gave me the tools to make this artwork but also the confidence and the courage to apply for it and feel like I deserve to be here,” said Helton.