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Armor as Fashion Educator Workshop

Participants in this workshop will explore everything the DIA offers teachers and students, including field trips, workshops, and learning resources. DIA curator Dr. Chassica Kirchhoff will lead a guided conversation highlighting armor in the galleries, including the special presentation Guests of Honor: Armor as Fashion. This presentation features the loaned portrait Jean de Croÿ, 2nd Count of Solre by Juan van der Hamen y León (1596–1631), shown alongside three pieces of the gilded armor worn by Croÿ in the painting. The portrait and the armor it depicts are reunited for the first time in over two centuries.Following the gallery talk, participants will join the panel discussion Becoming & Dissolving: Conversations Across Media & Time with Israel Aten. This conversation will feature internationally recognized Detroit-based artist Israel Aten with Dr. Chassica Kirchhoff, Assistant Curator of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, and Katie Pfohl, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art. Through the lens of Aten’s multimedia body of work—exploring identity, memory, and technology—the artist and DIA curators will examine unexpected intersections between contemporary art and the armor and portraiture featured in Guests of Honor: Armor as Fashion.The panel portion of this event is sponsored by the Visiting Committee for European Sculpture and Decorative Arts and will include live American Sign Language interpretation.Two SCECHs are pending approval. All educators are welcome.

Films

Orwell: 2+2=5

USA/France/2025 — directed by Raoul Peck | 119 min.This daring and powerfully engaging portrait of the life and career of George Orwell propels us through the stages of the great author’s journey with urgency and passion.Selections from Orwell’s essays and letters, narrated with rich humanity by actor Damian Lewis, provide the film’s biographical foundation. Yet the narrative never strays far from the shocking contemporary relevance of Orwell’s prescient masterwork, 1984.Oscar®-nominated director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) weaves together pivotal moments from screen and television adaptations of 1984, alongside contemporary documentary footage that sharpens Orwell’s blistering cautionary tale of authoritarianism into an all-too-vivid reality. Official Selection, 2025 Cannes Film Festival.“Brilliant. The boldest documentary anyone could make right now.” – Stephanie Zacharek, Time

Teen Workshop: Stained Glass

Join the Teen Arts Council and local stained-glass artist Carey Gustafson to create your own wind chime from colorful stained-glass pieces. This event includes a guided gallery tour to explore stained glass in the DIA’s collection, plus lunch! Bring a friend and make new ones. Free with general admission, but registration is required.Note: This event is for teens ages 13–19. Please bring a student ID or other photo ID that shows your age.Carey Gustafson is a Metro Detroit stained-glass artist with 35 years of experience. Her company, Glass Action, primarily focuses on custom and portrait work, but she also teaches beginner classes, workshops, and more.

Films

Souleymane's Story

France/2024 — directed by Boris Lojkine | 93 min.Racing through the streets of Paris on his bicycle making food deliveries, Guinean immigrant Souleymane (non-professional actor Abou Sangare) is struggling to stay afloat. With just two days before his asylum interview, he has only one chance to plead his case to an immigration officer who will determine his future in France.As he rides, rehearsing his story in preparation, Souleymane wonders if he will be ready for the most important interview of his life.Drawing spiritual inspiration from the humanist films of the Dardenne Brothers and Italian neorealists, Boris Lojkine’s propulsive new drama never leaves Souleymane’s side, offering a deeply affecting portrait of the daily trials faced by migrants around the world. In French, Fulah, and Malinka with English subtitles.“Gripping, intelligent, extraordinary. First-time actor Abou Sangare is a revelation.” – Jessica Kiang, Variety

Drop-In Workshop: Oil Pastel Portraits

Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait (1887), stop by the DIA’s Artmaking Studio to create your own unique portrait using vibrant oil pastels. Explore color, texture, and expression as you experiment with this classic medium. No experience is necessary, and all materials are provided.