DAYTON, OHIO.- Opening November 2, The Dayton Art Institute presents EYES ON ARCHITECTURE in the museum’s family friendly Experiencenter. Drawing on architectural structures from around the world and supported by objects from the museum’s collection, EYES ON ARCHITECTURE will encourage participants to discover the art in architecture. Visitors will be invited to explore architecture by focusing on buildings as living spaces, public spaces and sacred spaces. Interactive stations will demonstrate to people of all ages the various aspects of architecture: its function, structure and aesthetic qualities. 

“EYES ON ARCHITECTURE will give visitors the tools they need to understand this important art form that is all around us,” said Alex Nyerges, Director and CEO of The Dayton Art Institute. “Whether it’s a temple from ancient Rome or the house next door, we can learn to appreciate the beauty, the structure and the purpose of each of these buildings.” 

The exhibition will include an installation by Springfield, Ohio native Donna Dennis. Currently living and working in New York City, Dennis is best known for installations of classic architectural settings. “My work is drawn from the American vernacular, inspired by buildings shaped not by architects but by ordinary people,” Dennis explained. “I begin with something I have seen and feel drawn to: the subway, a covered stairway at night, a drawbridge with small houses perched within, a tourist cabin built improbably upon a large rock. I want to discover why I am drawn, and as I work, each installation becomes a metaphorical journey.”  

For EYES ON ARCHITECTURE, Dennis is exhibiting Tourist Cabin with Folding Bed, an installation, complete with cricket sounds, that allows the viewer to experience childhood memories of vacationing by a lake. 

EYES ON ARCHITECTURE includes 27 hands-on stations where visitors may engage in such activities as building three-dimensional models, taking a virtual tour of the Roman Pantheon, and drawing their own floor plans. An architect’s studio will include two computer stations where visitors of all ages can design their own buildings. A reading area will include books for all age levels. “This exhibition has something for everyone,” said Nyerges. “The activity stations are suitable for people of all ages, from pre-school children to grown ups. We have also made the stations accessible for people who are physically challenged.”  

The exhibition will examine the importance of architecture through history. From African villages to recent masterpieces, such as Dayton’s own Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, significant architects and buildings throughout the world will be profiled through photographs, paintings, prints and sculptures. Visitors will also learn about the architectural history of The Dayton Art Institute. Displays will concentrate on the original construction of the museum prior to its opening in 1930 and the renovation and expansion of the museum in 1996-1997. 

When visitors leave EYES ON ARCHITECTURE, they may continue to expand their knowledge of architecture by using the Ameritech smARTour audio guide. A portion of the audio guide is dedicated to the architecture of the museum itself. Families may use an EYES ON ARCHITECTURE gallery bag that contains hands-on activities and learning games that will take the entire family into the galleries to explore architecture in the museum’s collection. After visiting the Art Institute, the educational journey continues with a self-guided walking tour of the city. A museum-designed brochure will help participants discover Dayton’s architectural treasures. The tour connects important Dayton buildings to the various themes of the exhibition. The Old Courthouse, First Lutheran Church, and the Klegg House, the oldest residential building still standing in Dayton, are among the stops included on the tour.  

The opening of EYES ON ARCHITECTURE will be celebrated on Sunday, November 2 with a special preview from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Scheduled activities include: creating a collaborative cityscape with guest artist Ron Hundt, making your own building, seeing The Dayton Art Institute re-created in Legos, listening to a storyteller, and meeting artist Donna Dennis, the creator of the new Experiencenter installation, Tourist Cabin with Folding Bed. 

EYES ON ARCHITECTURE is sponsored by Dianne Komminsk, Rex Stores Corporation, Tait Foundation, Levin Porter Associates, the Berry Family and the Levin Family Foundation. The exhibition is on view through summer 2005. Admission is free.

ABOUT THE EXPERIENCENTER - Established in 1976, The Dayton Art Institute’s Experiencenter was developed to provide formal and informal learning and recreational activities for children and their families. It also serves the first time museum visitor by providing a program of active participation in a relaxed museum setting. The Dayton Art Institute’s Experiencenter has received national attention and was the first gallery space of its kind in any U.S. art museum. Throughout its history, the Experiencenter has presented annual thematic exhibitions featuring art from The Dayton Art Institute’s collection, private collections and loans from other museums. Past exhibitions have included ART ZOO: From Familiar Friends to Fabulous Creatures, COLOR CONNECTIONS, and most recently, GO FIGURE!



In addition to being a self-contained gallery space, the Experiencenter encourages visitors to engage in active participation at hands-on stations located throughout the museum and offers an opportunity for families to explore the museum and its collections together, enhancing the visitor’s learning and social experience. 

Located in the museum’s lower rotunda, the Experiencenter space consists of nearly 2,000 square feet with a studio classroom for workshops and participatory activities.