Dayton Art Institute Announces Reopening, 2021 Exhibition Schedule

last updated 03/11/2021
Dayton Art Institute Announces Reopening, 2021 Exhibition Schedule

The Dayton Art Institute, which has been closed since last November, will reopen on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, beginning on March 19.

Dayton Art Institute Announces Reopening, 2021 Exhibition Schedule

Dayton Art Institute Announces Reopening, 2021 Exhibition Schedule

The Dayton Art Institute (DAI) has announced it will reopen on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, effective Friday, March 19. The museum has also announced a schedule of Special and Focus Exhibitions for the remainder of the year.

“Thank you to everyone for your patience during our closure over the winter,” said DAI Director & CEO Michael R. Roediger. “The boiler fire at the museum in January delayed our reopening plans by a few weeks, but we are now ready to safely welcome the public back to the museum. According to a recent study by researchers at the Berlin Institute of Technology, art museums are among the safest indoor activities right now if you are looking for entertainment and education options for your friends and family. We look forward to debuting several renovated gallery spaces, as well as opening several new exhibitions in the coming months.”

The museum will be open 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, noon–5 p.m. on Sundays. The DAI’s Museum Store will also reopen during those hours, with additional shopping available online at www.daytonartinstitute.org/shop. 

Previous safety measures put in place in 2020 will remain in effect when the museum reopens:

  • Physical distancing measures to ensure guests remain six feet from others not in their group
  • All staff and guests will be required to wear face coverings while visiting the museum
  • Enhanced cleaning procedures in place throughout the museum

All museum tours will continue to be self-guided, in-person programs and interactive activities will not yet be available, and The Lange Family Experiencenter will remain closed until further notice.

More information about museum policies and procedures, as well as planning a visit, may be found at www.daytonartinstitute.org/visit. Updates and additional information will also be posted to the museum’s social media accounts.

The DAI has also released details of its planned exhibition schedules for the remainder of 2021.

"The pandemic forced us to rearrange our exhibition plans several times, but we’re excited to announce two new Special Exhibitions and several Focus Exhibitions for 2021,” said Chief Curator and Director of Education Jerry N. Smith. “Our Special Exhibitions will highlight art from the mid-20th century, with a look at art of the 1960s from the DAI collection and a look at works by Ralston Crawford that relate to aviation and World War II. Focus Exhibitions will explore photography, Asian and African art, art of the 1920s, and a special look at the work of Norman Rockwell opening in October.”

Special Exhibitions include:

Changing Times: Art of the 1960s, May 22–September 12   

Organized by the Dayton Art Institute, this DAI exclusive exhibition presents a look at one of the most transformative and often turbulent decades the world has ever experienced, the 1960s. Through experimentation with new media, styles and forms, artists in the 1960s broke down boundaries between fine and popular art, a trend that continues today. Drawing on the DAI’s extensive collection, featured artists include Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jim Dine, Aka Pereyma, Robert Motherwell, Gene Davis, Sol LeWitt and many others. 

Ralston Crawford: Air & Space & War, October 30, 2021–January 23, 2022

American art transformed in the period from 1940 through 1955, and nowhere is that change better exemplified than in the work of Ralston Crawford. Crawford was influenced by aviation through personal experiences in flight; these experiences had a profound impact on Crawford and marked a major turning point in his life and art. Featuring approximately 70 works, including paintings, drawings and photographs, the Dayton Art Institute will be the second stop for this new traveling exhibition, organized by the Vilcek Foundation and the Brandywine River Museum of Art.

When the DAI reopens, the Focus Exhibitions Bukang Y. Kim: Journey to the East, March 19–August 15 and All by Myself: Japanese Creative Prints, March 19–September 19, will be on view.

Upcoming Focus Exhibitions include: Looking at Family: Photographs from the Collection, April 16–July 11; The Roaring (and the Quiet) 1920s, May 7–August 15; Photographs from the Collection: Processes, July 30–October 24; Spotlight on Africa: Gifts from Dianne Komminsk, August 7–November 4; Formless Form V: The Calligraphy of Ronald Y. Nakasone, September 18, 2021–January 2, 2022; Beyond the Woodblock, October 2, 2021–March 6, 2022; Norman Rockwell: Stories of Emotion, October 23, 2021–February 13, 2022; and Early Ohio Photography, November 13, 2021–February 6, 2022.

Due to the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, exhibition schedules are subject to change. Go to www.daytonartinstitute.org/exhibitions for the latest information and updates.

Advance tickets are not required to visit the museum, but capacity may be limited in some collection and exhibition galleries. Museum general admission, which includes the collection galleries and all exhibitions, is $15 adults, $10 seniors (60+), active military and groups (10 or more), $5 students (18+ w/ID) and youth (ages 7-17), free for children (ages 6 & younger) and museum members.

Museum memberships are available for checkout through Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, Milton-Union Public Library and Troy-Miami County Public Library. Discounted admission and membership pricing is also available through the Museums for All program.

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