The Detroit Institute of Arts is your family and date-night destination this June with live music, and free art-making workshops and events for all ages
Updated Mar 28, 2017
March 28, 2017 (Detroit)—In keeping with the Detroit Institute of Arts’ (DIA) initiative to reflect the different cultures of our community, the DIA hosts Lalitha Ramamoorthy and the School of World Music and Dance for a day of dancing and music from India, along with an Arts and Minds lecture on how Detroiter Charles Lang Freer formed one of the earliest collections of Indian art in this country. Other activities this June include live jazz, family programs, and more.
Programs are free with museum admission and free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties unless otherwise noted. For more information, call (313) 833-7900 or visit www.dia.org.
General Guided Tours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 1 p.m.; Fridays, 1 & 6 p.m.
Enjoy a guided tour of select galleries for an overview of the collection.
General and Family Guided Tours: Saturdays & Sundays, 1 & 3 p.m.
Enjoy a guided tour of select galleries or enjoy family and kid-friendly tours.
55+ Thursdays: 1 p.m.
The first Thursday of the month features a guided gallery tour; the second a talk; the third an art-making activity; and the fourth a film. In months with a fifth Thursday, a second gallery tour will be offered.
Detroit City Chess Club: Fridays, 4–8 p.m.
The club’s mission is to teach area students the game and life lessons. Members have won state, regional and national competitions. People wanting to learn to play chess should show up between 4 and 6 p.m. There will be no teaching between 6 and 8 p.m., but visitors can play chess.
Drawing in the Galleries (for all ages): Fridays, 6–9 p.m.; Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.
Drop-In Workshops (for all ages)
Hours: Fridays, 6–9 p.m., Saturdays & Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.
Sandpaper Monoprints: Friday–Sunday, June 2–4
Use wax crayons, sandpaper, and your imagination to create one-of-a-kind prints on fabric.
Picture Frames: Friday–Sunday, June 6–11
Rhythmic Ribbon Batons: Friday–Sunday, June 16–18
Open Studio: Friday–Sunday, June 23–25
Create something uniquely personal with a variety of fun and interesting materials in this open-ended drop-in workshop.
Friday, June 2
Friday Night Live: Page of Madness: 7 p.m.
Frank Pahl, Terri Sarris and Doug Shimmin, members of the band Little Bang Theory, will perform an original score on toy and handmade instruments for the film “Page of Madness.”
Saturday, June 3
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Artist Demonstration: Quilting with April Anue: Noon–4 p.m.
Join local artist April Anue, for an afternoon of quilting. Anue will display several of her completed works and guide visitors in creating their own quilting experience.
Sunday, June 4
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Artist Demonstration: Quilting with April Anue: Noon–4 p.m.
See June 3 for description.
Sunday Music Bar: Obed Succari: 1 & 3 p.m.
Percussionist Obed Succari performs original compositions with Latin roots and jazz standards with inventive arrangements.
Arts and Minds: From Traveler to Aesthete: Charles Lang Freer and Indian Art: 2 p.m.
Charles Lang Freer’s pioneering aesthetics positioned Indian art as “fine art” in an era when it was relegated to just ethnographic or archeological interest. Join Brinda Kumar, assistant curator of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for a discussion on how India and Indian art influenced the formation of one of the finest early collections of Asian art in America.
Thursday, June 8
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
As part of the Cinetopia International Film Festival, featuring some of the most notable new features, short films and documentaries from film festivals the world over, including Sundance and Cannes, the DFT presents Il Cinema Ritrovato on Tour. Four days will be dedicated to rarely seen, international cinema classics newly restored at the legendary Immagine Ritrovata Laboratories of the Cineteca Bologna in Italy. Cinetopia screenings will take place at venues in multiple locations, including Detroit, Ann Arbor and Dearborn on June 8, 9, 10 and 11. The festival schedule is at www.cinetopiafestival.org and ww.dia.org.
Friday, June 9
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
See June 8 for description.
Friday Night Live: Grant Green Tribute: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
American jazz guitarist and composer Grant Green is celebrated by his son and other notable musicians interpreting nine of Green’s original songs.
Saturday, June 10
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Puppet Performance: “The Spinach Dip Pancake Show!”: 2 p.m.
Join Kevin Kammeraad and the Cooperfly Puppet Troupe on the DIA’s South Lawn for this interactive puppet event that features stories and songs created by the audience. All ages welcome.
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
See June 8 for description.
Sunday, June 11
Sunday Music Bar: Tia Hanna & Elden Kelly: 1–4 p.m.
Detroit-born jazz violinist Tia Hanna and guitarist Elden Kelly perform in Kresge Court.
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Puppet Performance: “The Spinach Dip Pancake Show!”: 2 p.m.
See June 10 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
See June 8 for description.
Wednesday, June 14
Arts and Minds: The Mahogany Connection: From Rainforest to Parlor in Early America: 6:30 p.m.
Furniture made of mahogany imported from the Caribbean was all the rage in the 18th-century American colonies. Jennifer Anderson, professor of history at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, discusses the fascination with this tropical hardwood and explores the consequences of the commercial competition surrounding it.
Sunday, June 18
Sunday Music Bar: Musicians from the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival: 1 & 3 p.m.
The 24th Annual Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival presents the finest chamber music repertoire performed by world-class musicians. Artistic Director Paul Watkins performs various works from classical musical literature and contemporary pieces for this year’s festival.
Detroit Institute of Awesome: DFT Animation Club: 2 p.m.
The DFT Animation Club offers classic, modern and international family films that are sure to capture everyone’s imagination. Tickets are $5, free for members.
Arts and Minds: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Contemporary Art at the DIA: 4 p.m.
Get to know Laurie Ann Farrell, curator of the DIA’s James Pearson Duffy Department of Contemporary Art, as she shares highlights from her 20-year career in the arts and discusses her vision for contemporary art at the DIA.
Friday, June 23
Friday Night Live: Musicians from the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
See June 18 for description.
Saturday, June 24
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Dance Performance: Dancing Sculptures of India: 1 & 3 p.m.
Lalitha Ramamoorthy and the School of World Music and Dance invite you to explore Indian culture and traditions as they demonstrate the link between live dance and the dancing seen in Indian sculpture. Audience participation is encouraged.
Sunday, June 25
Sunday Music Bar: Stefan Kukurugya: 1–4 p.m.
Detroit pianist Stefan Kukurugya performs jazz, pop, R&B and classical standards in Kresge Court.
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Dance Performance: Dancing Sculptures of India: 1 & 3 p.m.
See June 24 for description.
March 28, 2017 (Detroit)—In keeping with the Detroit Institute of Arts’ (DIA) initiative to reflect the different cultures of our community, the DIA hosts Lalitha Ramamoorthy and the School of World Music and Dance for a day of dancing and music from India, along with an Arts and Minds lecture on how Detroiter Charles Lang Freer formed one of the earliest collections of Indian art in this country. Other activities this June include live jazz, family programs, and more.
Programs are free with museum admission and free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties unless otherwise noted. For more information, call (313) 833-7900 or visit www.dia.org.
General Guided Tours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 1 p.m.; Fridays, 1 & 6 p.m.
Enjoy a guided tour of select galleries for an overview of the collection.
General and Family Guided Tours: Saturdays & Sundays, 1 & 3 p.m.
Enjoy a guided tour of select galleries or enjoy family and kid-friendly tours.
55+ Thursdays: 1 p.m.
The first Thursday of the month features a guided gallery tour; the second a talk; the third an art-making activity; and the fourth a film. In months with a fifth Thursday, a second gallery tour will be offered.
Detroit City Chess Club: Fridays, 4–8 p.m.
The club’s mission is to teach area students the game and life lessons. Members have won state, regional and national competitions. People wanting to learn to play chess should show up between 4 and 6 p.m. There will be no teaching between 6 and 8 p.m., but visitors can play chess.
Drawing in the Galleries (for all ages): Fridays, 6–9 p.m.; Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.
Drop-In Workshops (for all ages)
Hours: Fridays, 6–9 p.m., Saturdays & Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.
Sandpaper Monoprints: Friday–Sunday, June 2–4
Use wax crayons, sandpaper, and your imagination to create one-of-a-kind prints on fabric.
Picture Frames: Friday–Sunday, June 6–11
Rhythmic Ribbon Batons: Friday–Sunday, June 16–18
Open Studio: Friday–Sunday, June 23–25
Create something uniquely personal with a variety of fun and interesting materials in this open-ended drop-in workshop.
Friday, June 2
Friday Night Live: Page of Madness: 7 p.m.
Frank Pahl, Terri Sarris and Doug Shimmin, members of the band Little Bang Theory, will perform an original score on toy and handmade instruments for the film “Page of Madness.”
Saturday, June 3
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Artist Demonstration: Quilting with April Anue: Noon–4 p.m.
Join local artist April Anue, for an afternoon of quilting. Anue will display several of her completed works and guide visitors in creating their own quilting experience.
Sunday, June 4
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Artist Demonstration: Quilting with April Anue: Noon–4 p.m.
See June 3 for description.
Sunday Music Bar: Obed Succari: 1 & 3 p.m.
Percussionist Obed Succari performs original compositions with Latin roots and jazz standards with inventive arrangements.
Arts and Minds: From Traveler to Aesthete: Charles Lang Freer and Indian Art: 2 p.m.
Charles Lang Freer’s pioneering aesthetics positioned Indian art as “fine art” in an era when it was relegated to just ethnographic or archeological interest. Join Brinda Kumar, assistant curator of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for a discussion on how India and Indian art influenced the formation of one of the finest early collections of Asian art in America.
Thursday, June 8
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
As part of the Cinetopia International Film Festival, featuring some of the most notable new features, short films and documentaries from film festivals the world over, including Sundance and Cannes, the DFT presents Il Cinema Ritrovato on Tour. Four days will be dedicated to rarely seen, international cinema classics newly restored at the legendary Immagine Ritrovata Laboratories of the Cineteca Bologna in Italy. Cinetopia screenings will take place at venues in multiple locations, including Detroit, Ann Arbor and Dearborn on June 8, 9, 10 and 11. The festival schedule is at www.cinetopiafestival.org and ww.dia.org.
Friday, June 9
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
See June 8 for description.
Friday Night Live: Grant Green Tribute: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
American jazz guitarist and composer Grant Green is celebrated by his son and other notable musicians interpreting nine of Green’s original songs.
Saturday, June 10
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Puppet Performance: “The Spinach Dip Pancake Show!”: 2 p.m.
Join Kevin Kammeraad and the Cooperfly Puppet Troupe on the DIA’s South Lawn for this interactive puppet event that features stories and songs created by the audience. All ages welcome.
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
See June 8 for description.
Sunday, June 11
Sunday Music Bar: Tia Hanna & Elden Kelly: 1–4 p.m.
Detroit-born jazz violinist Tia Hanna and guitarist Elden Kelly perform in Kresge Court.
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Puppet Performance: “The Spinach Dip Pancake Show!”: 2 p.m.
See June 10 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: Cinetopia International Film Festival: Time TBA
See June 8 for description.
Wednesday, June 14
Arts and Minds: The Mahogany Connection: From Rainforest to Parlor in Early America: 6:30 p.m.
Furniture made of mahogany imported from the Caribbean was all the rage in the 18th-century American colonies. Jennifer Anderson, professor of history at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, discusses the fascination with this tropical hardwood and explores the consequences of the commercial competition surrounding it.
Sunday, June 18
Sunday Music Bar: Musicians from the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival: 1 & 3 p.m.
The 24th Annual Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival presents the finest chamber music repertoire performed by world-class musicians. Artistic Director Paul Watkins performs various works from classical musical literature and contemporary pieces for this year’s festival.
Detroit Institute of Awesome: DFT Animation Club: 2 p.m.
The DFT Animation Club offers classic, modern and international family films that are sure to capture everyone’s imagination. Tickets are $5, free for members.
Arts and Minds: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Contemporary Art at the DIA: 4 p.m.
Get to know Laurie Ann Farrell, curator of the DIA’s James Pearson Duffy Department of Contemporary Art, as she shares highlights from her 20-year career in the arts and discusses her vision for contemporary art at the DIA.
Friday, June 23
Friday Night Live: Musicians from the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
See June 18 for description.
Saturday, June 24
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Dance Performance: Dancing Sculptures of India: 1 & 3 p.m.
Lalitha Ramamoorthy and the School of World Music and Dance invite you to explore Indian culture and traditions as they demonstrate the link between live dance and the dancing seen in Indian sculpture. Audience participation is encouraged.
Sunday, June 25
Sunday Music Bar: Stefan Kukurugya: 1–4 p.m.
Detroit pianist Stefan Kukurugya performs jazz, pop, R&B and classical standards in Kresge Court.
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Dance Performance: Dancing Sculptures of India: 1 & 3 p.m.
See June 24 for description.