Her largest project is a 96-foot-long by 4-foot-tall black and white photograph that will be permanently displayed in the renovated Dayton Metro Library downtown starting in 2016.
We asked her a few questions. Here's what she had to say.
Name: Paula Kraus
Job Title: Adjunct faculty WSU, Adjunct Teacher Stivers School for the Arts, Artist. Not necessarily in that order.
What is your favorite spot in Dayton?
The MetroParks.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Does Netflix count?
What is one word people would use to describe you?
One word? Can I pass on that one?
Why did you decide to settle in Dayton?
My husband had gotten a job with the Dayton Daily News in 1995, so we moved from Houston, Texas to Dayton.
What was the most challenging part of becoming a photographer?
The technology is always changing. That is in part what makes photography fun and exciting and part of what makes it exhausting. Just when you think you have something mastered it all changes. Then again, tying the old and new together can gain you way more than the sum of the two parts. As an instructor: Knowing that every time you walk into the classroom it is like the first time. You have to be adaptable and the students remind you of that every day.
How did you push through that?
I'm still working on those!
What inspires you about Dayton?
The people. They are warm and generous. The Arts has a great community that is very supportive.
If you could change or bring one thing to Dayton what would that be?
I would love to see a couple good art galleries in Dayton -- or maybe just a high-speed rail system so that it was easier to get to some of the larger cities with large museums and galleries.
Where do you see Dayton in 5 to 10 years?
Growing, but still small enough that it still feels like a big town.
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