Sept. 20, 2019 (Detroit)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is busy this October with a national book launch by photojournalist Linda Soloman on Sunday, October 27 at 4 p.m. for her book The Queen Next Door: Aretha Franklin, An Intimate Portrait. This special event will feature Motown legends, close friends of Franklin, panels, and more. Also, this month, the DIA celebrates el Día de Muertos with a special performance by Ballet Folklorico de Detroit on Saturday the 26th and drop-in art-making from noon–4 p.m.

The DIA also welcomes two “Guests of Honor” from the Musée de Louvre with “Jean-Antoine Houdon’s Portraits of Americans in the Age of Enlightenment,”

General admission is always free to residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

The DIA thanks its sponsors for the following programs: Friday Night Live! is supported by the DTE Energy Foundation; the Detroit Film Theatre is generously supported by Buddy's Pizza.

Exhibitions

“Humble and Human: Impressionist Era Treasures from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Detroit Institute of Arts, an Exhibition in Honor of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.” on view through January 5

“Ofrendas: Celebrating el Dia de Muertos” on view September 28–November 10

Guests of Honor from the Musée du Louvre: “Jean-Antoine Houdon’s Portraits of Americans in the Age of Enlightenment” October 6, 2019–May 3, 2020

Ongoing

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 a family and kid-friendly tour.

Thursdays at the Museum, 1 p.m.

Special programs, including light refreshments, for adults 55+, including tours, talks, art-making, films and more.

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 arrive between 4 and 6 p.m.; open play (no teaching) is between 6 and 8 p.m.

Drawing in the Galleries (for all ages): Regular Hours: Fridays, 6–9 p.m.; Saturdays & Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.

Drop-In Art-making (for all ages): Regular Hours: Fridays, 6–9 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.

Thursday, October 3

Thursdays at the Museum: Tour 1 p.m.

Friday, October 4

Friday Night Live! Formosa Roadside Wedding Banquet 7:30 p.m.

The National Chinese Orchestra of Taiwan invites visitors to celebrate joyful and food-centric Taiwanese wedding rituals, combining traditional Taiwanese theatre, instrumentation and unique vocals.

Saturday, October 5

Detroit Institute of Awesome! DFT Family: NYICFF ¡Viva Kid Flicks! 2 p.m.

¡Viva Kid Flicks! celebrates Spanish-language and Latino-themed stories in shorts from around the globe and features audience favorites and award-winners from the 2019 New York International Children’s Film Festival, the largest film festival for kids and teens in North America.

Detroit Film Theatre: Asako I & II 4 & 7 p.m.

Asako, a student from Osaka, meets and falls in love with a drifter, Baku, who vanishes from time to time, finally drifting out of her life. Years later, Asako meets a young, businessman named Ryohei who bears a resemblance to her old flame, but with a completely different personality. In Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.

Sunday, October 6

Detroit Institute of Awesome! DFT Family: NYICFF ¡Viva Kid Flicks! 2 p.m.

(see October 5 for description)

Detroit Film Theatre: Asako I & II 4 p.m

(see October 5 for description)

Thursday, October 10

Thursdays at the Museum: Special Program: Humble and Human exhibition Pop-Up Tour 1 p.m.

This special Thursday at the Museum program invites visitors to an exclusive private guided tour of the exhibition Humble & Human: Impressionist Era Treasures from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Detroit Institute of Arts, an Exhibition in Honor of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.

Friday, October 11

Detroit Film Theatre: Rojo 8 p.m.

Claudio is a cool-headed lawyer who lives in suburbia with his wife and daughter, only to have his placid lifestyle disrupted after a dinner date is interrupted by an altercation with a stranger. When the stranger vows vengeance, Claudio embarks on a path of no return. In Spanish with English subtitles. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.

Special Indigenous People’s Day Friday Night Live! Jeremy Dutcher 8 p.m.

Performer, composer and activist Jeremy Dutcher is a classically trained operatic tenor whose Wolastoq First Nation roots inspire shifts between classical, traditional and pop to form something new.

Saturday, October 12

Detroit Film Theatre: Rojo 4 & 7 p.m.

(see October 11 for description)

Sunday, October 13

Detroit Film Theatre: Michoacán to Michigan 2 p.m.

This documentary tells the story of Valeriano & Martina Fraga’s journey from Mexico (Morelia, Michoacán) to Michigan in 1919, during the Mexican Revolution, through audio recordings and interviews with their children. The Fraga’s story, and the generations of their family that contributed to Detroit and Michigan communities throughout the past century, captures the true legacy of Martina and Valeriano’s journey. The film score composed by Tish Hinojosa.

Detroit Film Theatre: Rojo 4:30 p.m.

(see October 11 for description)

Thursday, October 17

Thursdays at the Museum: Art-making, 1 p.m.

Friday, October 18

Detroit Film Theatre: Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool 7 & 9:30 p.m.

Miles Davis broke boundaries and lived life on his own terms. It made him a star, but it also tested the patience of those who loved him. Featuring never-before-seen footage and studio outtakes, the new documentary from Stanley Nelson tells the story of a talent and unpacks the man behind the horn. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.

Friday Night Live! Ashley Bathgate 7 & 8:30 p.m.

Cellist Ashley Bathgate performs ASH, a work she commissioned for the Sleeping Giant composer collective, along with new works by composers Emily Cooley, Fjola Evans and Alex Weiser inspired by Steve Reich's Cello Counterpoint.

Saturday, October 19

Detroit Film Theatre: Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool 2 p.m.

(see October 18 for description)

Lecture: 2019 Betsy Campbell Lecture: Container Gardening: Drama for Every Season 2 p.m.

The DIA auxiliary Friends of Art & Flowers presents Paul Zammit, the Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden, who shares his process from pot selection and soil, to choosing the assorted plants he calls “thrillers, fillers, and spillers” that burst with fragrance, color and occasionally edible, herbs and greens.

Special Detroit Film Theatre Performance: Alloy Orchestra Presents: Gallery of Monsters 8 p.m.

Gallery of Monsters (La Gallerie des Monstres) is the story of a young small-town woman whose father forbids her marriage to the man she loves. In revolt, the couple flees and joins a circus, only to have unexpected tensions arise within the circus and the individuals working there. Alloy Orchestra brings a dynamic original score, adding to the film’s restoration, performed at the DFT just one day after its world premiere screening. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.

Sunday, October 20

Special Detroit Film Theatre Performance: Alloy Orchestra Presents: Speedy 12 p.m.

This special family-friendly Alloy Orchestra performance of the film Speedy is a fun, rollicking big-city adventure, making it a must-see opportunity for kids to discover cinema merged with live performance. Audience members can meet the band after the show.



Detroit Film Theatre: Stratford Festival on Film: Coriolanus 2 p.m.

After defeating enemies of Rome and capturing the city of Corioles, formerly despised military leader Caius Martius is honored with the new name Coriolanus and encouraged to run for the highest public office, only to face unexpected enemies who fan the populism flame with catastrophic results. Filmed before a live audience at Stratford’s Avon Theater. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.

Thursday, October 24

Thursdays at the Museum: Film: All the King’s Men 1 p.m.

Willie Stark is an idealistic local politician who discovers that corruption pays as he climbs the political ladder by any means necessary but comes face-to-face with the consequences.

SOLD OUT - Superfest Showcase: Detroit 7 p.m.

This show presents cutting-edge cinema that portrays the diversity and complexity of people with disabilities. Superfest brings a sampling of the top films from last year’s festival presented with captioning, audio-description and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.

Friday, October 25

Friday Night Live! Jenny Scheinman and Allison Miller’s Parlour Game 7 & 8:30 p.m.

Violinist Jenny Scheinman and drummer Allison Miller unite to create an Americana-infused jazz performance. Featuring pianist Carmen Staaf on piano and Tony Scherr on the acoustic bass.

Detroit Film Theatre: Los Reyes 7 p.m.

This documentary follows two homeless dogs, who really aren’t homeless at all. Futbol and Chola live in Santiago’s city of Los Reyes in the city’s oldest skate park, kept company and taken care of by teenage boys visiting the park. The voices of the skaters, set against the city’s noise, form a setting in itself as the kids brag, complain and joke in the unfiltered, raunchy language of coming-of-age boys.

Saturday, October 26

Detroit Institute of Awesome: Ballet Folklorico de Detroit: 2 p.m.

This special Day of the Dead performance by Ballet Folklorico de Detroit showcases several traditional dances and costumes from various regions of Mexico. Ballet Folklorico aims to preserve the culture of Mexico and promote positivity within the community.

Seeing the Sacred in Samsara: Lecture with Donald S. Lopez, Jr. 2 p.m.

Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan Donald S. Lopez, Jr. discusses his new book, Seeing the Sacred in Samsara, that features full-scale paintings of each of the 84 Indian mahasiddhas, (tantric Buddhist saints). He offers historical, aesthetic, and religious insights, giving a sense of the nuanced narratives and themes illustrated in the paintings. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the presentation.

Detroit Film Theatre: Los Reyes 2, 4:30 & 7 p.m.

(see October 25 for description)

Sunday, October 27

Detroit Institute of Awesome: Ballet Folklorico de Detroit: 2 p.m.

(see October 26 for description)

National Book Launch: The Queen Next Door with Linda Solomon 4 p.m.

Photojournalist Linda Solomon will launch her book The Queen Next Door: Aretha Franklin, An Intimate Portrait with Detroit panelists as they share their “RESPECT” for the Queen of Soul. Each panelist will share their intimate stories describing Aretha’s influence in music, her devotion to Detroit, her dedication to civil rights and personal tales and anecdotes. This afternoon will feature a choir performing Aretha’s hit songs, as well as a surprise guest vocalist. Paying homage to the Queen of Soul and her love for the pink Cadillac, Cadillac has generously sponsored this event and will provide a complimentary book to each event attendee.

Panelists include former Governor of Michigan, James J. Blanchard, former Mayor of Detroit, Dennis Archer and Aretha’s family including, her nieces, Sabrina Vonne Owens and Cristal Franklin, as well as Aretha’s cousin and back-up vocalist, Brenda Corbett and sister-in-law, Earline Franklin. Aretha’s life-long friends, Beverly Bradley, Thelma Stubbs Mitchell, sister of Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops and Barbara Henderson, wife of Billy Henderson of the Spinners, and more, will be joining the discussion. Carolyn Clifford, news anchor of Channel 7 Action News, will moderate the panel.

This event is open to the public, but space is limited. Please RSVP at dia.org.

Thursday, October 31

Thursdays at the Museum: Tour 1 p.m.

IN THE COMMUNITY 

Behind the Seen

Presented by trained DIA teaching volunteers, "Behind the Seen" brings insight and engagement about the DIA's collection from the museum to your community. Talks last up to one hour and are available to adult civic and social groups, libraries, senior centers, and other community-accessible locations in metro Detroit.

Wednesday, October 21

Walled Lake City Library: From Camelot to Kent State: Pop Art, 1960-1975 6:30 p.m.

Behind the Seen brings the imagery and social commentary of pop culture in From Camelot to Kent State Pop Art, 1960-1975 to the library. Artists in the 1960's celebrated American modern culture while also creating artworks, which conveyed social and political commentary of the times.  Explore pieces which both critique and celebrate mass media and popular culture.

Monday, October 28

Clinton-Macomb Public Library: Let Me Tell You a Story 3 p.m.

Explore the many ways visual artists use stories as the source of inspiration for their work at the Clinton-Macomb Public Library.

Museum Hours and Admission

9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, and 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 students, $6 for ages 6–17. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.