Images: kng.ht/1dAaSjA

MIAMI – Ever come across a Renoir, Warhol or O’Keeffe in your neighborhood? This summer, three museums will provide that experience through a program that brings high-quality, large-scale reproductions of their acclaimed collections into the streets and into people’s everyday lives.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Akron Art Museum are all engaging their cities through the Inside|Out program this summer, with the Pérez Art Museum Miami launching this fall. The DIA conceived of the program in 2010. It proved so successful in Detroit, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is providing $2 million over three years to expand Inside|Out to communities across the country.

This year, residents can have a picnic in a Detroit park beside a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh, share a meal at an outdoor café in Philadelphia next to a still life of a dinner scene, and see a landscape by Dwight W. Tryon on a jog through the woods outside Akron.

Get a feel for Inside|Out through photos on Flickr.

“There’s something very powerful about seeing an image of an iconic piece of art in person. Imagine that happening in your neighborhood. That element of surprise can be the spark that gets entire cities talking about and engaging with art,” said Victoria Rogers, vice president for arts at Knight Foundation.

Each city provides free museum admission to people living nearby the installations. In addition, the museums engage the neighborhoods in different ways:

In Detroit, the Inside|Out communities plan activities such as bike and walking tours and costume contests inspired by the reproductions. This year, a community garden exhibition will highlight the intersection of gardening, nutrition and art. So far, more than 100 communities have hosted Inside|Out in Michigan, and new cities are eager to participate.

“Inside|Out was conceived as a way to engage the community in the DIA’s collection,” said Graham W. J. Beal, DIA director. “The program has been in hundreds of metro Detroit locations over the past five years, engaged thousands of local citizens and has become the cornerstone of the DIA’s community relations efforts. We’re delighted that, thanks to the Knight Foundation, Inside|Out is being replicated in other cities around the country.”

In Philadelphia, the museum is taking the program to 10 communities, and will be inviting students from those neighborhoods on field trips to the museum to see originals in person.

“This project is not about inviting people to come to the museum to see the masterpieces in our collection. It’s about going where people live and work and saying we want to share these great things with you and become a part of your lives,” said Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, said.

In Akron, the community is celebrating Inside|Out with block parties where neighbors can enjoy great local food and visit the actual pieces of art on display at the museum.

“Inside|Out allows us to deepen the conversation between the museum and the community by offering numerous opportunities to build strong partnerships and friendships across Akron’s diverse communities,” said Akron Art Museum Executive Director and CEO Mark Masuoka. “Civic engagement is the focus of our vision and Inside|Out is the perfect project to demonstrate our mission to enrich lives through modern and contemporary art.”

And in South Florida, the Pérez Art Museum Miami is planning for a fall launch, which will include 30 art reproductions in three Miami-Dade County neighborhoods. The museum is working with civic, cultural and community leaders and partners to develop a robust schedule of related programs.

“Miami is a place where people live outside, so it only makes sense for the Pérez Art Museum Miami to bring Inside|Out to the residents of Miami-Dade County,” said PAMM Interim Director Leann Standish. “Inside|Out supports the museum’s mission to make art a part of our community’s everyday lives and beyond the museum’s walls.”

Knight Foundation, with the consulting help of the DIA, will bring this idea to more communities in 2016-17.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities, and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.

About the Detroit Institute of Arts

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera’s world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.

About the Akron Art Museum

The Akron Art Museum, dedicated to enriching lives through modern and contemporary art, showcases regional, national and international art created since 1850. The museum’s collection is presented in a spectacular facility designed by Viennese architectural firm Coop Himmelb(l)au and includes over 5,000 works of art, with a strong focus on contemporary painting, sculpture and photography. Nearly a dozen exhibitions each year present prominent artists in various media including painting, sculpture, photography, video, design and glass.

In addition to its ever-changing collection and exhibitions, the museum offers many opportunities to discover new perspectives through programs that include films and video, lectures, workshops, tours and concerts. More at AkronArtMuseum.org

About the Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia’s art museum. We are a landmark building. A world-renowned collection. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study and creative play—to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable. We are committed to inviting visitors to see the world—and themselves—anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts. More at philamuseum.org.

Contacts:

Marika Lynch, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]

Larisa Zade, Detroit Institute of Arts, 313-833-7962, [email protected]

Dominic Caruso, Akron Art Museum, 330-376-9186 x229, [email protected]

Joy Deibert, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 215-684-7864, [email protected]

Tracey Belcher, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 786-548-9993, [email protected]