I will have to start out this post by saying, I may be a little biased about the Dayton Art Institute. It has always been one of my favorite places growing up and I may or may not have had an internship here during grad school. With that disclaimer out of the way, let me introduce you to The Dayton Art Institute.

The Dayton Art Institute has a rather long history in Dayton. The DAI began as an art school and opened as the Dayton Museum of Arts. The official letter of incorporation was signed on February 28, 1919. In 1927, the name was changed to the Dayton Art Institute to match the burgeoning importance of the art school.

The new museum grew speedily during its first decade, rapidly outgrowing its original home in downtown Dayton. Construction of the beautiful current museum building began in 1928. Sadly, in 1974, the school closed due to lower enrollment. Fortunately, the DAI was able to continue operation as solely a museum due to its collection of more than 27,000 objects.

In September 1994, the museum announced its biggest -ever capital campaign, the Renaissance Campaign, to fund a considerable renovation and development of the museum. The Dayton Art Institute reopened in June 1997 with more than 35,000 square feet of added exhibition space and fully renovated permanent collection galleries. In 2019, the museum celebrated the centennial of its founding and continues to thrive as it enters its second century.

One of my favorite parts of the DAI collection is The Patterson-Kettering Wing of Asian Art. The Patterson-Kettering collection has extensive works from many countries, including China, India, Japan, Korea, and Thailand. The current focus exhibition for the Wing of Asian Art is Making Faces: 18 Essential Kabuki Plays. This exhibition analyzes Kabuki through a set of eighteen woodblock prints created by Torii Tadamasa. Making Faces will be displayed until March 30th in Gallery 105 at the DAI.

The DAI also has a holiday themed exhibition going on right now that is not to be missed. Merry Grinchmas: Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic & (B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family. Merry Grinchmas will feature original cel art used in the cartoon’s production, along with concept drawings by Jones (famous for Looney Tunes) and Dr. Seuss.

(B)ART! will feature original artwork and cels from The Simpsons. Both exhibitions will be presented side by side and are from the collection of Bill Heeter and Kristi Correa. Merry Grinchmas: Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic & (B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family will be on display from October 26, 2024 – January 19, 2025.

Be sure to check the DAI website to look at hours and recommended programming. https://www.daytonartinstitute.org/exhibits/grinchmas-bart/

See a trailer for the exhibition here:

I don’t want to spoil too much of the exhibit but feel free to check out some of my favorite photos from the exhibit below.

If you stop by the DAI please feel free to share your own photos or let me know what your favorite exhibit was down in the comments below.