The Need for Beauty

Where do you go to find beauty? The founding of art museums like the DAI were often framed in terms of beauty, even as “temples to beauty.” The general assumption was that beauty is a criteria for what is in a museum and that encountering such things can make us better or contribute to our quality of life. But what exactly is beauty? Who gets to define it?

This exhibition explores concepts of beauty by drawing together artworks across a range of cultures, time periods and materials. In particular, the focus is on the perennial interest across cultures in beauty’s relation to nature and the human body. Together, they present beauty as something of a paradox. On one hand, it feels obvious, something we encounter and attribute to experiences in life everyday. But the more you try to describe it, circumscribe it, the more elusive it is, which is part of beauty’s fascination. The exhibition, then, is not and cannot be a definitive answer, as one does not exist. This is an invitation to ask questions and join the journey!

EXHIBITION SPONSORS:

PROMOTING
ELM Foundation 
Norma Landis & Rick Hoffman
University of Dayton

ONGOING SPONSORS
National Endowment for the Arts
Culture Works
Montgomery County
Ohio Arts Council

Featured Image: Alexander Helwig Wyant (American, 1836–1892), Derbyshire Landscape, 1871, oil on canvas. Museum purchase with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Rietveld, the NCR Corporation, and Monsanto Research Corporation, 1985.6