“You Gotta Have Art. All You Really Need is Art...”
Adam Kosberg heard those words about 2,000 times last year while spearheading the remake of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ beloved 1976 commercial.
One could say Kosberg was making up for lost time. A Detroit transplant, he joined the DIA as Visual Media Director in 2023 and was immediately intrigued by the viral video’s decades-long legacy. He decided a 50th anniversary edition would be the perfect way to pay homage to the original and introduce new elements highlighting the museum’s ever-expanding collection.
In early 2025, planning began in earnest—coordinating shoot schedules, ordering props and costumes, and casting talent for scenes like the infamous Van Gogh and Rembrandt self-portraits, played by two of the museum’s Protective Services team members.
In the 50th anniversary rendition of "You Gotta Have Art," two of the museum's Protective Services team were cast as Rembrandt (above) and Van Gogh.
“For most film projects, 95% of the work is in post-production; this one was 95% pre-production,” Kosberg says. “Filming was fast and simple, and the editorial process was the fastest of any project I've ever touched. And I've done literally thousands of films.”
The original, created by J.B. Doner and Company Advertising, was filmed in just two days with about 80 actors. The 50th anniversary edition took two months to shoot and features 200 DIA employees and volunteers, along with cameos by Detroit artists and local talent.
Hardcore Detroit jit dancers spin through Rivera Court, while performers from Wayne State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance recreate figures from the Wedding Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Cello, piano, and drums—and even saxophone by a DIA employee—were recorded for a new Motown-inspired arrangement by Detroit musicians Marion Hayden and Alvin Waddles.
Wayne State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance recreate figures from the Wedding Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
The project also required plenty of problem-solving and pivoting. Outdoor shoots were at the mercy of unpredictable weather, and some vantage points no longer matched the 1976 version. Seven participants once crowded around Rodin’s The Thinker, but its current placement allows room for only four. Kosberg used a scissor lift to capture the shot of Alexander Calder’s 35-foot-tall sculpture Young Woman and Her Suitors, which replaces Calder's The X and Its Tails in the original. Other works are also off view, creating opportunities to spotlight different pieces, such as Sam Gilliam’s innovative Gram, which stands in for a Claes Oldenburg sculpture.
Adam Kosberg, DIA's Visual Media Director, using a scissor lift to capture the shot of Alexander Calder’s Young Woman and Her Suitors
Some elements, however, fell perfectly into place. For the iconic opening shot, the museum already had one of the world’s finest armor reproductions on hand, thanks to an upcoming special event. Fittingly, the armor is worn by the museum’s arms and armor expert Chassica Kirchoff—one of fewer than 10 specialists in the field nationwide.
Chassica Kirchoff, Assistant Curator of European Sculpture & Decorative Arts, is fitted with an armor replica for the opening scene.
Ultimately, Kosberg hopes the remake brightens people’s day and inspires them to visit the DIA. “It’s a simple song, but it has a timeless message—maybe even more relevant now, in an age of cell phones and iPads and AI,” he says. “There’s something powerful and restorative about seeing human creativity in person. You know the lyrics: ‘When you’re feeling low, you need to see Van Gogh and take heart.’ Whatever’s going on in your life, whenever you’re sad or lonely, this art is here to bring you back to life.
