April 24, 2017 (Detroit)—Enjoy great art and a variety of multicultural activities in July at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). Included are a reading by local Arab American author and former director of the Arab American National Museum, Anan Ameri; an animated movie about an ancient Indian epic; world music during the annual Concert of Colors; and a documentary about musicians in Mali. The exhibition “Art of Rebellion: Black Art of the Civil Rights Movement” opens July 23.

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.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS

Closed

Tuesday, July 4

Exhibitions:

“Art of Rebellion: Black Art of the Civil Rights Movement” on view July 23 through October 22

 

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.

Thursdays At The Museum: 1 p.m.

For adults 55+. 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)

Pinwheels: Saturday–Sunday, July 1 & 2, Noon–4 p.m.

Kites: Wednesday–Thursday, July 5 & 6, 11 a.m. –3 p.m.; Friday, July 7, Noon­–4 & 6–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, July 8 & 9, Noon–4 p.m.

Stabiles: Tuesday–Thursday, July 11 & 13, 11 a.m. –3 p.m.

Wrist & Ankle Rattles: Friday, July 14, Noon–4 & 6–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, July 15 & 16, Noon–4

Paper Marbling: Tuesday-Thursday, July 18–20, 11 a.m. –3 p.m.; Friday, July 21, Noon–4 & 6–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, July 22 & 23, Noon–4 p.m.

Uchiwa: Tuesday-Thursday, July 25–27, 11 a.m. –3 p.m.; Friday, July 28, Noon–4 & 6–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, July 29 & 30, Noon–4 p.m.

Uchiwa is a paper fan style common in Japan. Learn about the tradition and make your own fan.

Saturday, July 1

Detroit Film Theatre: “Starless Dreams”: 7 & 9:30 p.m.

This documentary reveals how teenage girls sharing quarters at a juvenile detention center on the outskirts of Tehran bond together through sharing the circumstances of their incarceration; one killed her father, one robbed a bank and one was found with 651 grams of cocaine. It is a portrait of innocence lost and found. Tickets: $9.50 general admission, $7.50 DIA members, seniors and students.

Sunday, July 2

Detroit Film Theatre: “Starless Dreams”: 2 & 4:30 p.m.

See July 1 for description.

Friday, July 7

Detroit Film Theatre: “Monterey Pop”: 7 & 9:30 p.m.

The Monterey International Pop Festival took place on a June weekend in 1967 and boosted the careers of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Otis Redding. Also on the bill were Simon and Garfunkel, the Who, the Mamas and the Papas, the Byrds, Hugh Masekela, the Animals and Ravi Shankar. This new 4K restoration was created for the Festival’s 50th anniversary. Tickets: $9.50 general admission, $7.50 DIA members, seniors and students.

Saturday, July 8

Detroit Film Theatre: “Monterey Pop”: 7 & 9:30 p.m.

See July 7 for description.

Sunday, July 9

Author Reading: “The Scent of Jasmine” by Anan Ameri: 2 p.m.

Anan Ameri’s refreshing memoir, “The Scent of Jasmine,” offers a funny and unique self-portrait of her childhood, adolescence and passage to adulthood as a young woman in the Arab world.

PuppetArt: Kolobok: 2 p.m.

We all know about the Gingerbread Man, but now it’s time to discover his Russian cousin Kolobok. This folktale is about a little butterball who comes to life after being baked by an elderly couple. Two forest spirits, performed by live actors, bring colorful floor puppets to life. Recommended for all ages.

Detroit Film Theatre: “Monterey Pop”: 2 & 4:30 p.m.

See July 7 for description.

Friday, July 14

Friday Night Live: Concert of Colors 5–9:30 p.m.

The Concert of Colors is Detroit’s free annual diversity-themed music festival. This five-day festival 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 performers TBA.

Saturday, July 15

Art Demo: Landscape Painting with Nivek Monet: Noon–4 p.m.

Join local multimedia public artist and live event painter Nivek Monet for an afternoon of painting outdoors. Monet will guide visitors through detailed explorations of classic landscape painting using the tools, materials and techniques of classic impressionistic painting.

Detroit Institute of Awesome: DFT Animation Club: “Sita Sings the Blues”: 2 p.m.

“Sita Sings the Blues” is the post-modern retelling of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. Three bickering shadow puppets act as comedic narrators as they tell the stories of Sita and Nina. Sita is a goddess separated from her husband, and Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her via email. Hilarity ensues. Recommended for ages nine to adult. Part of the Concert of Colors

Detroit Film Theatre Concert of Colors: “Mali Blues”: 4:30 p.m.

This documentary follows four artists as they attempt to use music to inspire tolerance and peace. The West African country of Mali is one of the birthplaces of the blues, a musical tradition later carried by the transatlantic slave trade to America. Today, the music and musicians of Mali are in danger as dance and secular music is prohibited. Musical instruments are destroyed, and musicians are forced to flee their homeland. Part of the Concert of Colors

Detroit Film Theatre: “Monterey Pop”: 7 p.m.

See July 7 for description.

Sunday, July 16

Art Demo: Landscape Painting with Nivek Monet: Noon–4 p.m.

See July 15 for description

Music Performance: Kate Hinote & the Disasters: 1 & 3 p.m.

Kate Hinote and the Disasters perform original material combined from the growing songbook of Americana, Indie and Folk-Noir in an act titled, “The Blueflowers.” Hinote was voted Best Singer by the readers of Detroit Metro Times in 2016.

Detroit Film Theatre: “Chasing Trane”: 4:30 p.m.

John Coltrane was an outside-the-box thinker whose boundary-shattering talent continues to impact and influence not only musical culture, but also the world at large. This new documentary is set against the social and political landscape of its time, bringing Coltrane’s music to life.  Part of the Concert of Colors

Friday, July 21

Friday Night Live: Carmen Lundy: 7 & 8:30

Carmen Lundy, a multi-instrumentalist and composer, performs music from her latest CD, “Cote Noire.” She is joined by Patrice Rushen on piano, Ben Williams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Kendrick Scott on drums and Elisabeth Oei on vocals.

Detroit Film Theatre: “Born in Flames”: 10 p.m.

This 1983 movie is a seriocomic fantasy of female rebellion set in America 10 years after the Second American Revolution. When the black radical founder of the Women’s Army is killed, a diverse coalition of women emerges to attempt to blow the System apart. Tickets: $9.50 general admission, $7.50 DIA members, seniors and students.

Saturday, July 22

Detroit Film Theatre: “The Detroiters”: 6 p.m.

In 2016 Caldodecultivo, a Colombian artist collective based in Bogotá, was invited to Detroit by Ideas City to participate in an artist’s residency. These experiences moved Caldodecultivo to document the work of spoken-word artists based in the city.  Following the screening, Caldodecultivo and the artists that appear in “The Detroiters” will discuss their work with the audience.

Detroit Film Theatre: “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”: 8 p.m.

During the 2008 financial crisis, giant U.S. banks deemed “too big to fail” avoided criminal charges, but one New York bank—Abacus Federal Savings—was indicted on criminal mortgage fraud charges. This documentary chronicles this new look at the “Great American Nightmare.” Tickets: $9.50 general admission, $7.50 DIA members, seniors and students.

Detroit Film Theatre: “Born in Flames”: 10 p.m.

See July 21 for description.

Sunday, July 23

Detroit Film Theatre: “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”: 2 p.m.

See July 22 for description.

Detroit Film Theatre: “The Detroiters”: 4 p.m.

See July 22 for description.

Friday, July 28

Friday Night Live: “John Sinclair: Mobile Homeland”: 7 & 8:30 p.m.

Sinclair performs music from his recording “John Sinclair Mobile Homeland,” produced by Tino Gross. This performance features the instrumental backing of an all-star cast of Detroit musicians.

Saturday, July 29

Detroit Film Theatre: “Detroit Home Movies”: 1 p.m.

All the film collected for the yearlong “Detroit Home Movies” project, which uncovered home movies of everyday life in Detroit's diverse communities shot in the late 1960s, will be shown in a marathon screening running roughly 10 hours, presented in 45-minute chapters and narrated by family members. A detailed program for the July 29 screening will be available online beginning July 1 at www.dia.org/dft.

“Detroit Home Movies” is a partnership of the DIA, Detroit Free Press, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Wayne State University’s Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs, Detroit Historical Society and Bridge magazine. Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Puppet Performance: Under Night Sky: 2 p.m.

Puppetkabob artist Sarah Frechette invites you to follow three children on journeys united by courage, love and hope. By blending hand-held lights, illustrated paper puppets, music and storytelling, Frechette creates a style of cinematic puppetry that flows like a film. You'll unravel the stories of the Underground Railroad stitched together in Grandmother's patchwork quilt, hear the waves crash aside the ship as you listen to the magical tale of an Irish Memory Quilt and quietly enter an Old School House to see a girl proudly wearing her coat of rags, stitched to patchwork perfection.

 

Sunday, July 30

Puppet Performance: Under Night Sky: 2 p.m.

See July 29 for description.

 

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 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.