DAYTON, OH.- In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the
Dayton Art Institute is presenting the focus exhibition The Moon Museum, on view through September 8.
The DAI recognizes the remarkable achievements of the Apollo program by showcasing the strange and intriguing story of The Moon Museuma compelling saga that crosses art and space! The Moon Museum is part of the DAIs 100 Happenings for 100 Years, as the museum celebrates its centennial in 2019.
We are thrilled to present The Moon Museum and join in the global celebration around the 50th anniversary of NASAs Apollo 11 mission, said the DAIs Chief Curator, Dr. Jerry N. Smith. It is an intriguing story about our continued fascination with the moon and our love of art.
The title of the exhibition refers to a peculiar piece of art historical and lunar lore. Captivated by Apollo 11, conceptual artist Forrest Myers, with the aid of Bell Telephone Laboratories, created a tiny ceramic tile in editions, featuring drawings by leading contemporary artists John Chamberlain, Myers himself, David Novros, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Through the covert assistance of NASA employees, one tile was allegedly attached to the landing module of Apollo 12. The tile presumably remains on the moon today, secured to the detached landing gear.
One of the editioned tiles, on generous loan from author and curator Jade Dellinger, is on view at DAI as part of The Moon Museum. The exhibition also features artworks from the DAIs collection relating to our closest celestial neighbor. Included is a series of silkscreens by Lowell Blair Nesbitt, National Air and Space Administrations (NASA) official artist for the Apollo 9 and Apollo 13 missions.