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Ash Arder and Kevin Beasley: Contemporary Artist Conversation

Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art Annual Meeting, Artist Conversation, and ReceptionPresented by the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art and Michigan Central ArtSchedule5:30–6 p.m. | FMCA Annual Meeting, Marvin and Betty Danto Lecture HallFor FMCA members only; advance registration required.6–7:30 p.m. | Artist Conversation: Ash Arder & Kevin Beasley, Marvin and Betty Danto Lecture HallFree and open to the public; no registration required.Join contemporary artists Ash Arder and Kevin Beasley for presentations on their work, followed by a conversation moderated by Kelly Kivland, Director and Lead Curator at Michigan Central, and Katie Pfohl, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the DIA.7:30–9 p.m. | FMCA Member Reception, Rivera CourtFor FMCA members only; advance registration required.Artist BiosAsh Arder (she/they) is a Detroit-based artist whose work explores ecology, industry, and labor through installations, sound, and material experimentation. Their recent solo exhibition Flesh Tones was presented at Cranbrook Art Museum in 2023.Kevin Beasley (he/him) is a New York-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, sound, photography, and performance. His recent installation PROSCENIUM | Rebirth / Growth: The Watch / Harvest / Dormancy: On Reflection is on view at Storm King Art Center until November 2025.

Films

2024 Michigan Student Film Festival

Come watch the best K–12 Michigan student films on the big screen. Held annually at the Detroit Film Theatre, the Michigan Student Film Festival has been the signature event of Digital Arts, Film & Television (DAFT) for 56 years. This juried festival is a high honor for students and has served as a gateway for past participants to careers in the film industry. All types of genres will be shown, including narratives, animation, news broadcasts, experimental films, and documentaries.  For families with children 10 and up.  Program schedule: 10 a.m., Kindergarten–8th grade awards 12:30 p.m., 9–12th grade awards

Films

Freep Film Festival: Luther: Never Too Much

USA/2024 — dir. Dawn Porter The signer Luther Vandross started his career supporting David Bowie, Roberta Flack, Bette Midler, and many more. He was nicknamed "the Velvet Voice," and despite having multiple platinum albums and top 10 hits, he struggled to break out of the R&B charts. “Considering the stamp he put on the American music industry, it feels strange there hasn’t yet been a documentary about his legacy until Dawn Porter’s Luther: Never Too Much … after experiencing her loving portrait you can’t imagine Vandross’ story being told by anyone else.” — Tomris Laffley, Indiewire Tickets for all Freep Film Festival screenings hosted at Detroit Film Theatre are available in advance at freepfilmfestival.com. Produced by the Detroit Free Press, the Freep Film Festival focuses on documentaries, especially those with connections to Detroit and Michigan. Screenings include in-depth discussions with directors, film subjects, and community members. Freep Film Festival also presents live events at venues throughout metro Detroit, with activities centered in the downtown core. 

Films

Freep Film Festival: The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit

USA/2024 — dir. Mark Stryker | 78 min. You can’t tell the history of Jazz without telling the story of Detroit. The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit explores the lives of the city’s innovative and influential musicians during Detroit’s dramatic rise as an industrial power. Scores of world-class musicians have rolled off Detroit’s assembly line, nurtured by the profound legacy of mentors such as Barry Harris, Marcus Belgrave, and Rodney Whitaker. The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit reminds audiences how and why the city has become the once and future crossroads for American Jazz masters.  Tickets for all Freep Film Festival screenings hosted at Detroit Film Theatre are available in advance at freepfilmfestival.com.  Produced by the Detroit Free Press, the Freep Film Festival focuses on documentaries, especially those with connections to Detroit and Michigan. Screenings include in-depth discussions with directors, film subjects, and community members. Freep Film Festival also presents live events at venues throughout metro Detroit, with activities centered in the downtown core.  

Films

Freep Film Festival: Rouge

(USA/2023—dir. Hamoody Jaafar) In the 1950s, legendary high school basketball coach Lofton Greene led the recently racially integrated River Rouge High School Panthers to a record number of state championships in a league made up of segregated schools. Now, almost 70 years later, former Panther LaMonta Stone has returned to the struggling industrial town of River Rouge to help the Panthers chase the school's 15th State Championship.  In this coming-of-age story, Stone and four student athletes strive to fulfill generations' worth of work, on and off the court. The film includes appearances by Michigan State Basketball's head coach Tom Izzo, Detroit Pistons announcer George Blaha, and longtime Free Press high school sportswriter Mick McCabe. Produced by the Detroit Free Press, the Freep Film Festival focuses on documentaries, especially those with connections to Detroit and Michigan. Screenings include in-depth discussions with directors, film subjects, and community members. Freep Film Festival also presents live events at venues throughout metro Detroit, with activities centered in the downtown core.  Tickets for all Freep Film Festival screenings hosted at Detroit Film Theatre are available in advance at freepfilmfestival.com.