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CINCINNATI— We cannot tell a lie, the Cincinnati Art Museum reinstalled Pinocchio (Emotional)—the 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Cincinnati native Jim Dine on March 22.

The much-beloved, iconic artwork was temporarily removed from the museum on Sept. 23, 2020 while the museum’s parking lot and new arrival court were under construction.

During its six-month hiatus, Pinocchio underwent conservation treatments to keep its painted surface protected from the harsh outdoor environment.

Now, visitors can enjoy the sculpture in a slightly new location, approximately 500 feet away from its original spot, near the parking lot—perfectly positioned for selfies with the museum entrance in the background.

The fan-favorite statue was part of an advertising campaign for the museum last year.

The museum is now open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays. Hours are 11 a.m.–5 p.m. daily and Thursdays from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Members will have special access each Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.–11 a.m. To continue to ensure community wellness, limited hourly capacity remains reduced and advanced online registration is required for any visit.

Later this summer, this beloved landmark will be joined by a brand new one. The newest addition to the museum’s entrance will be a striking wind sculpture from British-Nigerian contemporary artist Yinka Shonibare, commissioned by the museum.

These large-scale sculptures will join other outdoor artworks added to the museum’s Art Climb earlier this year including Chakaia Booker’s LBD Duty Free (2014), Barton Rubenstein’s Skybound (2012), and Tony Rosenthal’s Cube (1997).

Dine has been making cutting-edge paintings, prints, performance art, and sculptures since his graduation from Walnut Hills in 1953. Dine studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the University of Cincinnati, and Ohio University. In 1958, Dine moved to New York, where his mixed-media constructions and experimentation established him as a young intellectual talent.

Pinocchio (Emotional) is one of several of the artist’s work that centers around The Adventures of Pinocchio by Italian author Carlo Collodi (1826–1890). Dine has been working with the story and character of Pinocchio since the late 1990s and in 2005, Dine devoted his time to creating a lithograph for each of the 36 chapters of the original fairy tale novel. The bronze sculpture, crafted in 2007 exclusively for the Cincinnati Art Museum, depicts the fictional character as he was meant to be in the original story. Watch the CAM Look video to learn more about the artwork. A Class Experience for teachers to share with students is also available on Cincinnati Art Museum’s website.

About the Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as our members.

Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Special exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free. Visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org for more information.

Image credit for the statue: Pinocchio (Emotional), Jim Dine (American, b. 1935), artist, 2007, bronze, Museum Purchase: Lawrence Archer Wachs Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Leyman Endowment, Phyllis H. Thayer Purchase Fund, A.J. Howe Endowment, Henry Meis Endowment, On to the Second Century Art Purchase Fund, Israel and Caroline Wilson Fund, Trustee Art Purchase Fund, and Tom and Dee Stegman, © 2016 Jim Dine / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, 2012.9

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