December 2021 Activities at the Detroit Institute of Arts
Updated Nov 15, 2021
November 15, 2021 (DETROIT)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) begins to roll out programming just in time for the holiday season, including films, family activities and more. Events and programs are added every day. At this time, all museum visitors must make an advance reservation by phone at (313) 833-4005 or online at https://ticketapp.dia.org.
Visit www.dia.org/events to stay up-to-date and to register to the events below, and to sign up to the DIA’s weekly newsletter to get the latest DIA news and updates.
General admission is always free for residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.
Special Holiday Museum Hours
Thursday, December 23–Saturday, December 25, CLOSED
Sunday, December 26, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Monday, December 27, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Tuesday, December 28–Thursday, December 30, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Friday, December 31, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday, January 1–Sunday, January 2, CLOSED
Exhibitions
The 13th Annual Community Group Art Exhibition opens virtually December 3
“The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion” opens December 17
“Shirley Woodson: Shield of the Nile Reflections” opens December 18
“Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950–2020” through January 9, 2022
“Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite” through January 16, 2022
Ongoing
Thursdays at the Museum Online: 1 p.m.
Join the Detroit Institute of Arts every Thursday at 1 p.m. for FREE online programs for adults 55 and over. Experience something fun every week, including virtual tours of the collection and artists’ studios, art talks, art-making and films. Thursdays at the Museum is made possible by your tri-county millage support.
Now booking in person, self-guided tours for adults 55+. Reservations can be made at www.dia.org/Thursdays for a 2-hour visit. The DIA provides transportation for groups of 25 or more.
Film: No Lye: An American Beauty Story
By the 1960s, the sale of Black health and beauty aids blossomed into a multi-million-dollar business that was heavily influenced by the civil rights movement. A decade later, innovative hairstyles and cosmetic products transformed the market into a billion-dollar industry. This film details the impact of popular culture on ethnic beauty standards in America. The film profiles beauty industry pioneers, including Annie Malone, Madam C.J. Walker, Samuel B. Fuller, John H. Johnson, George E. Johnson, Comer Cottrell, Soft Sheen Products, Luster Products, Bronner Bros, and Essence Magazine.
Presented free for home-streaming in conjunction with the exhibition “Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite.”
Thursday, December 2
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Studio Visit: Justine Allenette Ross 1 p.m.
Metro Detroit commercial artist, illustrator, art director and designer Justine Allenette Ross demonstrates her digital illustration work with clients that include HOUR Detroit, Detroit Metro Times, and the University of Michigan.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Friday, December 3
Friday Night Live! We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite 7 p.m.
This performance combines the 1963 recording of composer and drummer Max Roach’s and lyricist Oscar Brown’s album We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite along with live music, featuring Naima Shambourger on vocals, saxophonist Mike Monford, bassist Marion Hayden and an All-Star group of jazz musicians.
The recording also features vocalist Abbey Lincoln who was photographed for the album art by Kwame Brathwaite, a vital figure of the second Harlem Renaissance. Presented in conjunction with the DIA special exhibition Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite on view through January 16, 2022. Currently, all Friday Night Live! programs are held in the Detroit Film Theatre auditorium at limited capacity. To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Free with required online registration. Friday Night Live! is supported by the DTE Energy Foundation.
Saturday, December 4
2021 Teen Council Annual Summit 2 p.m.
The DIA Teen Arts Council invites all teens ages 13-19, to participate in this year’s Annual Summit, an event in which a variety of teen councils and youth groups come together to share their achievements with the public. Participating teens reflect on the experiences of the previous school year and discuss goals, events, successes, and areas to grow.
To close the program, registered participants will play a team-building game and create a piece in a collaborative mural. The first 75 registered participants will receive an art kit consisting of a graphite pencil, sketchbook, line art pen and a watercolor paint brush in the mail for the art-making activity.
Detroit Film Theatre: La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) 2 & 7 p.m.
In St. Tropez, France, Alain Delon and Romy Schneider are immersed in a picturesque, lazy vacation by the swimming pool, until her ex shows up unannounced with his daughter in tow generating intrigue, tensions and mortal consequences. In French with English subtitles. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students.
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Sunday, December 5
Detroit Film Theatre: La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 4 for description)
Thursday, December 9
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Virtual Tour: Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite 1 p.m.
Docents Ray Henney, Cindy Patrick and Tana McPherson discuss how Kwame Brathwaite’s photography helped advance the “Black Is Beautiful” movement, one of the most influential cultural movements of the 1960s, when Black women and men turned to natural hairstyles and African-inspired clothing.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Friday, December 10
Detroit Film Theatre: Hive (Zgjoi) 7 p.m.
Hive is based on the true story of Fahrije, who, like many of the other women in her patriarchal village, has lived with fading hope and grief since her husband disappeared during the war in Kosovo. To provide for her struggling family, Fahrije pulls the other widows in her community together to launch a business selling a local food product. Together they find healing and solace by daring to consider a future without their husbands. In Albanian with English subtitles. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students.
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Saturday, December 11
Free Family Fun: The Gruffalo’s Child and Stick Man 2 p.m.
Families of all ages will delight watching these two animated shorts. First is the story of young Gruffalo who wonders a snowy forest in search of the Big Bad Mouse, followed by Stick Man, who embarks on an epic journey to make it home in time for Christmas.
This program is free with registration. Children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated may attend screenings accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult and must wear a mask.
Detroit Film Theatre: Hive (Zgjoi) 7 p.m.
(see Dec. 10 for description)
Sunday, December 12
Detroit Film Theatre: Hive (Zgjoi) 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 10 for description)
Thursday, December 16
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Virtual Tour: Seeking the Sacred Part II
This tour compares the different ways people throughout the world, and throughout time, have used works of art to hold, communicate and reinforce ideas about religion, spirituality and cosmology.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Friday, December 17
Detroit Film Theatre: CatVideoFest 2021 7 p.m.
The popular CatVideoFest returns to the Detroit Film Theatre for the first time since its record-breaking sold-out shows in February of 2020, featuring a new compilation of the latest and best cat videos pulled together from hours of unique submissions, animations, music videos, and internet powerhouses. The festival’s distributor contributes a portion of revenues for cats in need through partnerships with a variety of cat charities and shelters. Online ticket sales only. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students (additional $1.50 online fee).
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Saturday, December 18
Detroit Film Theatre: CatVideoFest 2021 2 & 7 p.m.
(see Dec. 17 for description)
Sunday, December 19
Detroit Film Theatre: CatVideoFest 2021 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 17 for description)
Thursday, December 23
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Film: Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story 1 p.m.
This documentary film follows the life story of acclaimed actress and Hollywood beauty Heady Lamarr and her rise to stardom and unhealthy relations, but with a major focus on her co-creation of frequency hopping technology, a method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly changing the frequency among many distinct frequencies in a large spectral band. Lamarr and composter George Antheil patented their communication system in 1942 to make radio-guided torpedoes during WWII harder for enemies to detect or to jam.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Sunday, December 26
Detroit Film Theatre: Beauty and the Beast 2 p.m.
To celebrate Beauty and the Beast’s anniversary, as well as the Detroit Film Theatre’s return, the DIA presents a special holiday screening of this French classic film in 4K restoration. This live-action adaptation of Mme Leprince de Beaumont’s fairy-tale masterpiece is a motion picture fantasy that continues to enchant audiences and influence filmmakers everywhere, 75 years after its initial release. In French with English subtitles. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students.
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Wednesday, December 29
Free Family Fun: Gems: The World’s Wisdom Stories 2 p.m.
Doug Berkey inspires both laughter and reflection in Gems, presenting stories from around the world by weaving together the illusions of a mime, antics of the clown, original masks, good storytelling and improv into a full stage show. Stories include ancient Greece’s Aesop’s Fables as well as folklore and mythology from Asian, African, Middle Eastern and First Nations peoples.
This program is free. Registration is required. Children under 12 who have not been vaccinated may attend screenings accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult and must wear a mask.
Thursday, December 30
Free Family Fun: Gems: The World’s Wisdom Stories 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 29 for description)
Friday, December 31
Detroit Film Theatre: Beauty and the Beast 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 26 for description)
Museum Hours and Admission
9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. General admission (excludes ticketed exhibitions) is free for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne county residents and DIA members. For all others, $14 for adults, $9 for seniors ages 62+, $8 for college students, $6 for ages 6–17. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.
November 15, 2021 (DETROIT)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) begins to roll out programming just in time for the holiday season, including films, family activities and more. Events and programs are added every day. At this time, all museum visitors must make an advance reservation by phone at (313) 833-4005 or online at https://ticketapp.dia.org.
Visit www.dia.org/events to stay up-to-date and to register to the events below, and to sign up to the DIA’s weekly newsletter to get the latest DIA news and updates.
General admission is always free for residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.
Special Holiday Museum Hours
Thursday, December 23–Saturday, December 25, CLOSED
Sunday, December 26, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Monday, December 27, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Tuesday, December 28–Thursday, December 30, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Friday, December 31, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday, January 1–Sunday, January 2, CLOSED
Exhibitions
The 13th Annual Community Group Art Exhibition opens virtually December 3
“The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion” opens December 17
“Shirley Woodson: Shield of the Nile Reflections” opens December 18
“Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950–2020” through January 9, 2022
“Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite” through January 16, 2022
Ongoing
Thursdays at the Museum Online: 1 p.m.
Join the Detroit Institute of Arts every Thursday at 1 p.m. for FREE online programs for adults 55 and over. Experience something fun every week, including virtual tours of the collection and artists’ studios, art talks, art-making and films. Thursdays at the Museum is made possible by your tri-county millage support.
Now booking in person, self-guided tours for adults 55+. Reservations can be made at www.dia.org/Thursdays for a 2-hour visit. The DIA provides transportation for groups of 25 or more.
Film: No Lye: An American Beauty Story
By the 1960s, the sale of Black health and beauty aids blossomed into a multi-million-dollar business that was heavily influenced by the civil rights movement. A decade later, innovative hairstyles and cosmetic products transformed the market into a billion-dollar industry. This film details the impact of popular culture on ethnic beauty standards in America. The film profiles beauty industry pioneers, including Annie Malone, Madam C.J. Walker, Samuel B. Fuller, John H. Johnson, George E. Johnson, Comer Cottrell, Soft Sheen Products, Luster Products, Bronner Bros, and Essence Magazine.
Presented free for home-streaming in conjunction with the exhibition “Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite.”
Thursday, December 2
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Studio Visit: Justine Allenette Ross 1 p.m.
Metro Detroit commercial artist, illustrator, art director and designer Justine Allenette Ross demonstrates her digital illustration work with clients that include HOUR Detroit, Detroit Metro Times, and the University of Michigan.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Friday, December 3
Friday Night Live! We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite 7 p.m.
This performance combines the 1963 recording of composer and drummer Max Roach’s and lyricist Oscar Brown’s album We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite along with live music, featuring Naima Shambourger on vocals, saxophonist Mike Monford, bassist Marion Hayden and an All-Star group of jazz musicians.
The recording also features vocalist Abbey Lincoln who was photographed for the album art by Kwame Brathwaite, a vital figure of the second Harlem Renaissance. Presented in conjunction with the DIA special exhibition Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite on view through January 16, 2022. Currently, all Friday Night Live! programs are held in the Detroit Film Theatre auditorium at limited capacity. To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Free with required online registration. Friday Night Live! is supported by the DTE Energy Foundation.
Saturday, December 4
2021 Teen Council Annual Summit 2 p.m.
The DIA Teen Arts Council invites all teens ages 13-19, to participate in this year’s Annual Summit, an event in which a variety of teen councils and youth groups come together to share their achievements with the public. Participating teens reflect on the experiences of the previous school year and discuss goals, events, successes, and areas to grow.
To close the program, registered participants will play a team-building game and create a piece in a collaborative mural. The first 75 registered participants will receive an art kit consisting of a graphite pencil, sketchbook, line art pen and a watercolor paint brush in the mail for the art-making activity.
Detroit Film Theatre: La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) 2 & 7 p.m.
In St. Tropez, France, Alain Delon and Romy Schneider are immersed in a picturesque, lazy vacation by the swimming pool, until her ex shows up unannounced with his daughter in tow generating intrigue, tensions and mortal consequences. In French with English subtitles. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students.
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Sunday, December 5
Detroit Film Theatre: La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 4 for description)
Thursday, December 9
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Virtual Tour: Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite 1 p.m.
Docents Ray Henney, Cindy Patrick and Tana McPherson discuss how Kwame Brathwaite’s photography helped advance the “Black Is Beautiful” movement, one of the most influential cultural movements of the 1960s, when Black women and men turned to natural hairstyles and African-inspired clothing.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Friday, December 10
Detroit Film Theatre: Hive (Zgjoi) 7 p.m.
Hive is based on the true story of Fahrije, who, like many of the other women in her patriarchal village, has lived with fading hope and grief since her husband disappeared during the war in Kosovo. To provide for her struggling family, Fahrije pulls the other widows in her community together to launch a business selling a local food product. Together they find healing and solace by daring to consider a future without their husbands. In Albanian with English subtitles. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students.
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Saturday, December 11
Free Family Fun: The Gruffalo’s Child and Stick Man 2 p.m.
Families of all ages will delight watching these two animated shorts. First is the story of young Gruffalo who wonders a snowy forest in search of the Big Bad Mouse, followed by Stick Man, who embarks on an epic journey to make it home in time for Christmas.
This program is free with registration. Children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated may attend screenings accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult and must wear a mask.
Detroit Film Theatre: Hive (Zgjoi) 7 p.m.
(see Dec. 10 for description)
Sunday, December 12
Detroit Film Theatre: Hive (Zgjoi) 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 10 for description)
Thursday, December 16
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Virtual Tour: Seeking the Sacred Part II
This tour compares the different ways people throughout the world, and throughout time, have used works of art to hold, communicate and reinforce ideas about religion, spirituality and cosmology.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Friday, December 17
Detroit Film Theatre: CatVideoFest 2021 7 p.m.
The popular CatVideoFest returns to the Detroit Film Theatre for the first time since its record-breaking sold-out shows in February of 2020, featuring a new compilation of the latest and best cat videos pulled together from hours of unique submissions, animations, music videos, and internet powerhouses. The festival’s distributor contributes a portion of revenues for cats in need through partnerships with a variety of cat charities and shelters. Online ticket sales only. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students (additional $1.50 online fee).
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Saturday, December 18
Detroit Film Theatre: CatVideoFest 2021 2 & 7 p.m.
(see Dec. 17 for description)
Sunday, December 19
Detroit Film Theatre: CatVideoFest 2021 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 17 for description)
Thursday, December 23
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Film: Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story 1 p.m.
This documentary film follows the life story of acclaimed actress and Hollywood beauty Heady Lamarr and her rise to stardom and unhealthy relations, but with a major focus on her co-creation of frequency hopping technology, a method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly changing the frequency among many distinct frequencies in a large spectral band. Lamarr and composter George Antheil patented their communication system in 1942 to make radio-guided torpedoes during WWII harder for enemies to detect or to jam.
Visit www.dia.org/ThursdaysAtHome to attend this virtual activity.
Sunday, December 26
Detroit Film Theatre: Beauty and the Beast 2 p.m.
To celebrate Beauty and the Beast’s anniversary, as well as the Detroit Film Theatre’s return, the DIA presents a special holiday screening of this French classic film in 4K restoration. This live-action adaptation of Mme Leprince de Beaumont’s fairy-tale masterpiece is a motion picture fantasy that continues to enchant audiences and influence filmmakers everywhere, 75 years after its initial release. In French with English subtitles. Tickets are $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for DIA members, seniors and students.
To attend screenings and events at the Detroit Film Theatre, visitors are required to show at the door a current photo ID and proof of full vaccination. Learn more about visiting at www.dia.org/covid19policies.
Wednesday, December 29
Free Family Fun: Gems: The World’s Wisdom Stories 2 p.m.
Doug Berkey inspires both laughter and reflection in Gems, presenting stories from around the world by weaving together the illusions of a mime, antics of the clown, original masks, good storytelling and improv into a full stage show. Stories include ancient Greece’s Aesop’s Fables as well as folklore and mythology from Asian, African, Middle Eastern and First Nations peoples.
This program is free. Registration is required. Children under 12 who have not been vaccinated may attend screenings accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult and must wear a mask.
Thursday, December 30
Free Family Fun: Gems: The World’s Wisdom Stories 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 29 for description)
Friday, December 31
Detroit Film Theatre: Beauty and the Beast 2 p.m.
(see Dec. 26 for description)
Museum Hours and Admission
9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. General admission (excludes ticketed exhibitions) is free for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne county residents and DIA members. For all others, $14 for adults, $9 for seniors ages 62+, $8 for college students, $6 for ages 6–17. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.