The Dayton Art Institute reopens to the public

Face coverings will be required for staff and visitors.

The Dayton Art Institute has reopened to the general public nearly four months after closing due to the pandemic.

New policies and safety measures are in place, and opening hours are limited.

Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

Face coverings are required for staff and guests inside the museum, physical distancing measures are in place and protective shields at guest services are among the changes.

Enhanced cleaning has been implemented and visitors will notice hand-sanitizing stations placed throughout the museum.

The museum will be open for limited hours from Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Michael Roediger, the director and CEO of the DAI, said the staff created a robust reopening plan that proved successful when the museum opened for members only on July 10.

“We got a lot of great feedback,” he said. “They felt having masks and stations for sanitizing was very helpful and they felt safe.”

Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

The DAI has also instituted these changes for reopening.

  • All museum tours will be self-guided
  • Staff will be temperature checked and required to wear face coverings at all times in the building.
  • Restrooms, elevators, doors, knobs, rails, handles and other high-touch surfaces are being disinfected multiple times daily.
  • The DAI will monitor visitor flow to ensure it does not exceed 50% capacity.
  • The museum has removed interactive gallery elements and made maps and guides available online, accessible to visitors’ personal devices.
  • Interactive spaces will be closed until further notice, including The Lange Family Experiencenter.
  • Food will not be served at the museum. Complimentary bottled water will be available at guest services, but must be consumed in the rotunda, Leo Bistro or outside the museum.
  • While the museum was closed, the staff repainted some galleries, rehung art and installed a new labeling system.

“It will be nice and fresh and a new experience when you come,” Roediger said. “We hope people will go through the galleries, not just the special exhibition when they come.”

The special exhibition Samurai, Ghosts and Lovers: Yoshitoshi’s Complete 100 Aspects of the Moon, has been extended through Sept. 13. The Focus Exhibitions Photographs from the Collection, Swashbuckling Samurai and In the Company of Friends: The Kettering and Patterson Legacy will also be on view.

Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

Roediger said visiting the museum can provide a respite during the pandemic.

“We hope people can come here and decompress, visit their old friends in the collection and see new things that have been hung,” he said. “Hopefully it gives people a bit of peace during this time.”


WANT TO GO?

What: Dayton Art Institute

Where: 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton

Tickets: Advance tickets to the Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North, are not required to visit the museum, but capacity may be limited in some collection galleries and the special exhibition.

Cost: 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). The museum is free for children (ages 6 and younger) and museum members.

Hours: The museum will reopen with limited hours of 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, noon–5 p.m. on Sundays.

More info: For more information about the Dayton Art Institute and its reopening plans, visit daytonartinstitute.org or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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