Familly weekends, drop-in art making, Concert of Colors, and more this July at the Detroit Institute of Arts
Updated Apr 28, 2016
April 28, 2016 (Detroit)—This July the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) offers puppet performances, special weekday drop-in art making, films, live music and more. New this summer the DIA features family weekends. Public programming geared towards families with children between the ages three and ten. “The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip” is on display until Sept. 11 and is free with general admission.
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–Fridays, 1 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 explore family and kid-friendly.
Senior Thursdays
Thursdays are now Senior Day at the DIA. Senior programs is offered every Thursdays at 1 p.m., featuring a different program each week. The first Thursday of each month will feature a guided gallery tour; the second a talk; the third an art-making class; 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)
Tuesdays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Kites–Create a simple kite that will really fly.
Wednesdays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Rhythmic Ribbon Batons–Make your own ribbon baton, which is used in floor exercises for gymnastics and dance.
Thursdays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Miniature Pamphlet Stitch Books–Use an assortment of decorative papers to make a small book bound with a traditional form of stitching.
Fridays, Noon–9 p.m. Tambourines–Learn about the history of the tambourine and make a simple version of your own (July 1, 6–9 p.m.).
Saturdays, Noon–4 p.m. Paper Flowers–Take a stroll through the galleries and find works of art with a floral theme. Then come to the studio to make your own paper versions of the flowers that inspired you.
Sundays, Noon–4 p.m. Paper Dolls–Use one of our patterns or make your own, then design one-of-a-kind clothing for a paper doll.
Friday, July 1
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Touch of Zen”: 7 p.m.
In 15th century China, a fugitive noblewoman is at risk of being executed by scheming dynastic conspirators. She escapes into the wilderness with a shy scholar and two trusted aides and joined by a band of Buddhist monks, surprisingly skilled in the art of battle, to face a massive group of fighters. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Saturday, July 2
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Touch of Zen”: 7 p.m.
See July 1 for description.
Sunday, July 3
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Touch of Zen”: 2 p.m.
See July 1 for description.
Friday, July 8
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Monster with a Thousand Heads”: 7 p.m.
When Sonia receives the news that her husband’s cancer has progressed, she races to secure her insurance company’s approval for the care that can likely help him. Met with indifference and bureaucracy at every turn, Sonia’s desperation triggers a primal survival instinct as a series of increasingly labyrinthine and angry confrontations unfold. In Spanish with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: TBA: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 9
Puppet Performance: “Luigi Bullooney’s Circus Menagerie”: 2 p.m.
This playful show features specialized hand puppets that perform hilarious feats. Following the show, kids can meet the puppets and create circus-character masks of their own.
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Monster with a Thousand Heads”: 7 & 9:30 p.m.
See July 8 for description.
Sunday, July 10
Sunday Music Bar: Elden Kelly: 1–4 p.m.
Solo guitarist Elden Kelly blends strains of jazz, neoclassicism, and American roots music as well as Hindustani and Turkish influences into a captivating performance in the relaxing atmosphere of Kresge Court.
Puppet Performance: “Luigi Bullooney’s Circus Menagerie”: 2 p.m.
See July 9 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Monster with a Thousand Heads”: 4:30 p.m.
See July 8 for description.
Friday, July 15
Detroit Film Theatre: “Neon Bull”: 7 p.m.
This fictional work with a documentary feel unfolds within the world of the vaquejada, a traditional Brazilian sport in which cowboys try to wrestle bulls to the ground. This intense form of rodeo is seen through the eyes of Iremar a handsome cowboy who works the events but dreams of being a fashion designer. Note: contains explicit scenes of sexuality. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: Concert of Colors: 6 & 9:30 p.m.
The Concert of Colors is Detroit’s free annual diversity-themed music festival. This five-day festival is unites metro Detroit by presenting musical acts from around the world. Produced by the Arab American National Museum with partners Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, ACCESS, Midtown Detroit Inc. and University of Michigan – Detroit Center. DIA performer TBA
Saturday, July 16
Detroit Film Theatre Animation Club: “Only Yesterday”: 2 p.m.
Twenty-seven-year-old Taeko, who has lived her whole life in Tokyo, decides to visit her relatives in the countryside. As the train travels through the night, memories of her younger years come flooding back and she begins to revisit her childhood dreams. This is a newly restored, English-language version of Takahata’s masterpiece, created in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Tickets: $5 for general admission, free for members.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Neon Bull”: 7 p.m.
See July 15 for description.
Concert of Colors: 9:30 p.m.
See July 15 for description
Sunday, July 17
Animation Club: “Only Yesterday”: 2 p.m.
See July 16 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Neon Bull”: 4:30 p.m.
See July 15 for description.
Concert of Colors: Astrid Hadad: 7:30 p.m.
Astrid Hadad is an internationally acclaimed Mexican cabaret performer, historian, social critic and activist. Her unconventional shows combine ranchera, bolero, rumba, rock and jazz into a unique musical form that has been dubbed “Heavy Nopal” (after the quintessentially Mexican cactus whose juice is distilled to make Tequila).
Friday, July 22
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: Straight Ahead: 7 and 8:30 p.m.
The Detroit-based, female jazz ensemble Straight Ahead produces a sound ranging from mainstream and contemporary jazz to Latin and jazzy hip-hop in a wide range of musical textures, moods, and tempos. Among the performers are Gayelynn McKinney (drums), Eileen Orr (piano), Marion Hayden (bass), and Kymberli Wright (vocals).
Saturday, July 23
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Sunday, July 24
Sunday Music Bar: The Corn Potato String Band: 1 & 3 p.m.
The Corn Potato String Band keeps old-time fiddle and banjo music from the flatlands alive and well in Detroit.
Detroit Film Theatre: TBD
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday, July 29
Detroit Film Theatre: “Nuts!”: 7 p.m.
This unbelievable but “sort-of-true” story recounts how a Kansas doctor claimed in 1917 that he had discovered a cure for impotence using one of the most surprising surgical procedures of all time. Mixing animated reenactments, interviews, archival footage, and a narrator whose veracity you may or may not believe, “Nuts!” traces the doctor’s rise from poverty to the heights of celebrity, wealth and influence. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: Andre Mehmari: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Brazilian pianist André Mehmari combines classical influences with improvisation. He will be joined by a special guest artist for improvisations for two pianos.
Saturday, July 30
Puppet Performance: Puppet Kabob’s “The Snowflake Man”: 2 p.m.
Puppeteer Sarah Frechette combines art, science, and little-known pieces of American history to magical effect in this show featuring intricately designed Czech-style marionettes, pop-up book scenery and a whimsical sense of humor. After the performance, audience members can create their own pop-up theater.
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Sunday, July 31
Sunday Music Bar: Cecelia Sharp: 1–4 p.m.
Cellist Cecelia Sharpe performs experimental works for solo cello that demonstrate the instrument’s expressive range.
Puppet Performance: Puppet Kabob’s “The Snowflake Man”: 2 p.m.
See July 30 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
April 28, 2016 (Detroit)—This July the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) offers puppet performances, special weekday drop-in art making, films, live music and more. New this summer the DIA features family weekends. Public programming geared towards families with children between the ages three and ten. “The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip” is on display until Sept. 11 and is free with general admission.
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–Fridays, 1 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 explore family and kid-friendly.
Senior Thursdays
Thursdays are now Senior Day at the DIA. Senior programs is offered every Thursdays at 1 p.m., featuring a different program each week. The first Thursday of each month will feature a guided gallery tour; the second a talk; the third an art-making class; 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)
Tuesdays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Kites–Create a simple kite that will really fly.
Wednesdays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Rhythmic Ribbon Batons–Make your own ribbon baton, which is used in floor exercises for gymnastics and dance.
Thursdays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Miniature Pamphlet Stitch Books–Use an assortment of decorative papers to make a small book bound with a traditional form of stitching.
Fridays, Noon–9 p.m. Tambourines–Learn about the history of the tambourine and make a simple version of your own (July 1, 6–9 p.m.).
Saturdays, Noon–4 p.m. Paper Flowers–Take a stroll through the galleries and find works of art with a floral theme. Then come to the studio to make your own paper versions of the flowers that inspired you.
Sundays, Noon–4 p.m. Paper Dolls–Use one of our patterns or make your own, then design one-of-a-kind clothing for a paper doll.
Friday, July 1
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Touch of Zen”: 7 p.m.
In 15th century China, a fugitive noblewoman is at risk of being executed by scheming dynastic conspirators. She escapes into the wilderness with a shy scholar and two trusted aides and joined by a band of Buddhist monks, surprisingly skilled in the art of battle, to face a massive group of fighters. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Saturday, July 2
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Touch of Zen”: 7 p.m.
See July 1 for description.
Sunday, July 3
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Touch of Zen”: 2 p.m.
See July 1 for description.
Friday, July 8
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Monster with a Thousand Heads”: 7 p.m.
When Sonia receives the news that her husband’s cancer has progressed, she races to secure her insurance company’s approval for the care that can likely help him. Met with indifference and bureaucracy at every turn, Sonia’s desperation triggers a primal survival instinct as a series of increasingly labyrinthine and angry confrontations unfold. In Spanish with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: TBA: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 9
Puppet Performance: “Luigi Bullooney’s Circus Menagerie”: 2 p.m.
This playful show features specialized hand puppets that perform hilarious feats. Following the show, kids can meet the puppets and create circus-character masks of their own.
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Monster with a Thousand Heads”: 7 & 9:30 p.m.
See July 8 for description.
Sunday, July 10
Sunday Music Bar: Elden Kelly: 1–4 p.m.
Solo guitarist Elden Kelly blends strains of jazz, neoclassicism, and American roots music as well as Hindustani and Turkish influences into a captivating performance in the relaxing atmosphere of Kresge Court.
Puppet Performance: “Luigi Bullooney’s Circus Menagerie”: 2 p.m.
See July 9 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: “A Monster with a Thousand Heads”: 4:30 p.m.
See July 8 for description.
Friday, July 15
Detroit Film Theatre: “Neon Bull”: 7 p.m.
This fictional work with a documentary feel unfolds within the world of the vaquejada, a traditional Brazilian sport in which cowboys try to wrestle bulls to the ground. This intense form of rodeo is seen through the eyes of Iremar a handsome cowboy who works the events but dreams of being a fashion designer. Note: contains explicit scenes of sexuality. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: Concert of Colors: 6 & 9:30 p.m.
The Concert of Colors is Detroit’s free annual diversity-themed music festival. This five-day festival is unites metro Detroit by presenting musical acts from around the world. Produced by the Arab American National Museum with partners Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, ACCESS, Midtown Detroit Inc. and University of Michigan – Detroit Center. DIA performer TBA
Saturday, July 16
Detroit Film Theatre Animation Club: “Only Yesterday”: 2 p.m.
Twenty-seven-year-old Taeko, who has lived her whole life in Tokyo, decides to visit her relatives in the countryside. As the train travels through the night, memories of her younger years come flooding back and she begins to revisit her childhood dreams. This is a newly restored, English-language version of Takahata’s masterpiece, created in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Tickets: $5 for general admission, free for members.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Neon Bull”: 7 p.m.
See July 15 for description.
Concert of Colors: 9:30 p.m.
See July 15 for description
Sunday, July 17
Animation Club: “Only Yesterday”: 2 p.m.
See July 16 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Neon Bull”: 4:30 p.m.
See July 15 for description.
Concert of Colors: Astrid Hadad: 7:30 p.m.
Astrid Hadad is an internationally acclaimed Mexican cabaret performer, historian, social critic and activist. Her unconventional shows combine ranchera, bolero, rumba, rock and jazz into a unique musical form that has been dubbed “Heavy Nopal” (after the quintessentially Mexican cactus whose juice is distilled to make Tequila).
Friday, July 22
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: Straight Ahead: 7 and 8:30 p.m.
The Detroit-based, female jazz ensemble Straight Ahead produces a sound ranging from mainstream and contemporary jazz to Latin and jazzy hip-hop in a wide range of musical textures, moods, and tempos. Among the performers are Gayelynn McKinney (drums), Eileen Orr (piano), Marion Hayden (bass), and Kymberli Wright (vocals).
Saturday, July 23
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Sunday, July 24
Sunday Music Bar: The Corn Potato String Band: 1 & 3 p.m.
The Corn Potato String Band keeps old-time fiddle and banjo music from the flatlands alive and well in Detroit.
Detroit Film Theatre: TBD
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday, July 29
Detroit Film Theatre: “Nuts!”: 7 p.m.
This unbelievable but “sort-of-true” story recounts how a Kansas doctor claimed in 1917 that he had discovered a cure for impotence using one of the most surprising surgical procedures of all time. Mixing animated reenactments, interviews, archival footage, and a narrator whose veracity you may or may not believe, “Nuts!” traces the doctor’s rise from poverty to the heights of celebrity, wealth and influence. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Friday Night Live: Andre Mehmari: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Brazilian pianist André Mehmari combines classical influences with improvisation. He will be joined by a special guest artist for improvisations for two pianos.
Saturday, July 30
Puppet Performance: Puppet Kabob’s “The Snowflake Man”: 2 p.m.
Puppeteer Sarah Frechette combines art, science, and little-known pieces of American history to magical effect in this show featuring intricately designed Czech-style marionettes, pop-up book scenery and a whimsical sense of humor. After the performance, audience members can create their own pop-up theater.
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Sunday, July 31
Sunday Music Bar: Cecelia Sharp: 1–4 p.m.
Cellist Cecelia Sharpe performs experimental works for solo cello that demonstrate the instrument’s expressive range.
Puppet Performance: Puppet Kabob’s “The Snowflake Man”: 2 p.m.
See July 30 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: TBA
Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.