Northern Kentucky Day Trips: The Dayton Art Institute

The Dayton Art Institute is a worthy day trip any time- it's a beautiful structure, housed in a sun-dappled, charming old neighborhood. The curator makes smart decisions with a sense of whimsy, making the visual display inviting, engaging and crisply amusing. Through June 24th, the Dayton Art Institute is running the "Marilyn Monroe Life as a Legend" exhibit.

As a vintage clothing dealer and collector, I'm more than fascinated with the bygone era of the 50's and 60's. I didn't have Motley Crue and GnR posters on my walls when I was growing up- I had posters and photos of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Marlon Brando, and a host of other 50's icons. I watched, and re-watched, movies like The Seven Year Itch, How to Marry a Millionaire and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I devoured Marilyn Monroe biographies and became convinced that she wasn't a flippant, dizzy starlet, but a greatly misunderstood comedienne. And a tragic, haunted woman given to sad musings that often hinted at her loneliness: "it's all make believe, isn't it?"

I've wanted to go back to the Dayton art museum for a while, and this seems like the perfect excuse for a day trip. The admission for the Marilyn Monroe exhibit is $14 for adults and $12 for students with ID. The general admission to the Dayton Art Institute is free, so there's plenty to see without paying, too. Open daily.