International coffee and tea festival at Detroit Institute of Arts celebrates Arabic, Japanese, Indian and Chinese traditions with music, dance, demonstrations and games

Updated Jan 5, 2017

(Detroit)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), in partnership with its auxiliary group Friends of Asian Art and Cultures, presents a lively, two-day festival celebrating coffee and tea traditions from Arabic, Japanese, Indian and Chinese cultures on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 21 and 22. The festival includes demonstrations, tastings, traditional music, dance, traditional board games and art making.

Festival events are free with museum admission, which is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.



Saturday, Jan. 21

Performances and Demonstrations in Rivera Court

1 p.m. Lebanese line dance and belly dance 

Arabic music played on the oud and qanun, traditional string instruments

Arabic calligraphy

3 p.m. Chinese Tea Chan Ceremony

Music played on the guzheng, an ancient string instrument known as the Chinese zither

Chinese painting and calligraphy 

Sunday, Jan. 22

1 p.m. Japanese Tea Ceremony (chanoyu)

Kimono show

3 p.m. Music played on an Indian Instrument 

Indian classical, folk and fusion (Bollywood) dance

Fashion show of colorful Indian outfits 



Saturday and Sunday, Noon-4 p.m.

Demonstrations and Tastings in the Great Hall


Arabic cardamom coffee tasting

Middle Eastern artifacts and clothing

Coffee cup reading



Chinese tea making, demonstration and tasting

Books on Chinese and Taiwanese art and culture

Chinese tea pots and tea cups display

Chinese desserts

Display of Chinese and Taiwanese paintings, puppets and clothing



Sencha (casual tea) demonstration and tasting with Japanese sweets

Display of tea ceremony materials and history of Japanese tea

Furoshiki (gift wrapping) demonstrations



Display of handicrafts from rural India

Indian paintings display

Indian clothing display: rural, bridal, ethnic and modern Bollywood



Hands-on Activities in the Student Lunchroom

Henna artistry, led by the Islamic Unity Center Youth Group



Chinese painting and paper folding

Chinese children’s games 



Japanese calligraphy

Furoshiki wrapping



Indian bangles

Indian candle holders



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 Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county residents and DIA members. For all others, $12.50 for adults, $8 for seniors ages 62+, $6 for ages 6–17. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.

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The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.

Programs are made possible with support from residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

(Detroit)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), in partnership with its auxiliary group Friends of Asian Art and Cultures, presents a lively, two-day festival celebrating coffee and tea traditions from Arabic, Japanese, Indian and Chinese cultures on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 21 and 22. The festival includes demonstrations, tastings, traditional music, dance, traditional board games and art making.

Festival events are free with museum admission, which is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.



Saturday, Jan. 21

Performances and Demonstrations in Rivera Court

1 p.m. Lebanese line dance and belly dance 

Arabic music played on the oud and qanun, traditional string instruments

Arabic calligraphy

3 p.m. Chinese Tea Chan Ceremony

Music played on the guzheng, an ancient string instrument known as the Chinese zither

Chinese painting and calligraphy 

Sunday, Jan. 22

1 p.m. Japanese Tea Ceremony (chanoyu)

Kimono show

3 p.m. Music played on an Indian Instrument 

Indian classical, folk and fusion (Bollywood) dance

Fashion show of colorful Indian outfits 



Saturday and Sunday, Noon-4 p.m.

Demonstrations and Tastings in the Great Hall


Arabic cardamom coffee tasting

Middle Eastern artifacts and clothing

Coffee cup reading



Chinese tea making, demonstration and tasting

Books on Chinese and Taiwanese art and culture

Chinese tea pots and tea cups display

Chinese desserts

Display of Chinese and Taiwanese paintings, puppets and clothing



Sencha (casual tea) demonstration and tasting with Japanese sweets

Display of tea ceremony materials and history of Japanese tea

Furoshiki (gift wrapping) demonstrations



Display of handicrafts from rural India

Indian paintings display

Indian clothing display: rural, bridal, ethnic and modern Bollywood



Hands-on Activities in the Student Lunchroom

Henna artistry, led by the Islamic Unity Center Youth Group



Chinese painting and paper folding

Chinese children’s games 



Japanese calligraphy

Furoshiki wrapping



Indian bangles

Indian candle holders



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 Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county residents and DIA members. For all others, $12.50 for adults, $8 for seniors ages 62+, $6 for ages 6–17. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.

###

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.

Programs are made possible with support from residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.