The Dayton Art Institute is inviting visitors to experience the museum before they ever step foot inside.
The museum has launched a redesigned website and a new video storytelling series as part of an effort to make its collections, exhibitions and programs more accessible online while creating deeper connections with the community.
Support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Program for Arts and Culture made the redesign possible. Since launching in 2021, the initiative has helped more than 100 cultural organizations across the United States and the United Kingdom strengthen their digital capabilities and better engage audiences.
Art Institute leaders say the revamped website serves as a digital front door, making it easier to explore the collection, buy tickets, register for programs and discover exhibitions.
Specifics about Bloomberg Philanthropies’s financial aid weren’t made available.
“With support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, we are investing in the future of how audiences discover and experience the Dayton Art Institute,” Interim Director and President Mark Shaker said in a statement. “This new website allows us to better connect with our community, expand access to our resources and create more opportunities for people to engage with the museum both online and in person.”
Sharing stories behind the art
The project also includes “Beyond the Frame,” a 12-part video series that pairs works from the museum’s collection with the personal stories of local community leaders.
Produced with Knack Video + Photo, the series features a dozen people from diverse backgrounds, each selecting an artwork that reflects their own experiences. Their conversations explore how art intersects with identity, memory and community, offering viewers new ways to connect with the museum’s collection.
The videos are going to be part of the museum’s website and shared across its digital channels.
“’Beyond the Frame’ allows us to highlight the meaningful connections people have with art, invite more members of our community to see themselves reflected in the museum and inspire new generations to create lasting memories of their own at the Dayton Art Institute,” Shaker said.
The new website also builds on the museum’s broader digital strategy, including its Bloomberg Connects mobile guide, which offers self-guided tours, collection highlights and educational content with features such as multilingual translation, screen-reader compatibility, image descriptions and audio experiences.
The museum is using the new digital tools to connect with people long after they leave — or long before they ever arrive. Current exhibitions include “Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice,” “Exploring Feminism” and “Captivating Clay: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection,” with more exhibitions opening later this year.
“The Dayton Art Institute is more than an impressive art collection,” Shaker said. “It is a place where stories, experiences and perspectives come together.”
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