Search Results
580 Search Results for portrait
580 Search Results for portrait
Exhibitions
Events
Films
Burden of Dreams
(USA/1982—directed by Les Blank)Werner Herzog was already a legend by 1982 when Fitzcarraldo, his magnum opus, was finally released. The film tells the story of a visionary adventurer, played by Klaus Kinski, who is obsessed with bringing an opera house to the Amazon for a performance by Caruso. The film was shot on location over four years, including a dramatic scene where a 320-ton steamship is actually hauled over a mountain—one of many production challenges that drove Herzog to the brink of insanity.Burden of Dreams is Les Blank’s classic behind-the-scenes documentary about Herzog’s monumental effort to complete Fitzcarraldo. As a portrait of unrelenting artistic obsession, this documentary's impact may surpass that of the film it chronicles. Newly restored in 4K resolution, Burden of Dreams returns to the big screen in the way it truly deserves. (95 minutes)“One of the most candid and fascinating portraits ever made of a director at work.” –Vincent Canby, The New York Times
Fri
Nov 22, 2024
Films
The World According to Allee Willis
(USA/2024—directed by Alexis Manya Spraic)Songwriter and artist Allee Willis began filming her life as a child in 1950s Detroit and never stopped. Her recordings of herself, her family, and her career form the backbone of this vibrant, entertaining documentary portrait. Brilliant and tireless, Willis fed her curiosity about music by sitting outside Motown Studios on Grand Blvd and listening to recording sessions through the walls.She soon wrote iconic songs like “September” and “Boogie Wonderland” for Earth, Wind & Fire, and the “Friends” theme “I’ll Be There for You,” all while grappling with her anxiety about fitting established gender and sexual norms. The film features friends celebrating their love for Allee, including Lily Tomlin, Paul Reubens, Mark Cuban, Cyndi Lauper, and many more. A joy from beginning to end. (97 minutes)“A fascinating documentary honoring a creative force of nature. Energetic, colorful and invigorating.” –Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter
Sat
Nov 16, 2024
Community Events
Detroit Jewish Bookfair: A Conversation with Jean Strouse
American biographer, Jean Strouse, author of Family Romance: John Singer Sargent and the Wertheimers, captures the dramas, mysteries, intrigues, and tragedies surrounding John Singer Sargent's portraits of the Wertheimer family. Strouse will be looking at twelve portraits of one English family painted by the expatriate American artist (Sargent) at the height of his career—and at the intersections of all these lives with the sparkle and strife of the Edwardian age. The author will be joined in conversation with Ben Colman, DIA Associate Curator for American Art.Following the presentation, please join a DIA docent-led tour of works by John Singer Sargent.
Sun
Oct 27, 2024
Drop in Workshop: Oil Pastel Portraits
Inspired by works in the collection including Vincent van Gogh's 1887 Self-Portrait, stop by the DIA Art-Making studio to create your own portrait using oil pastels!
Fri
Oct 4, 2024
Drop-in Workshop: Wearable Wire Sculpture
Find inspiration in the galleries, then head to the Artmaking Studio and create your own sculpture using colorful wire. Make a portrait, an animal, or a unique creation of your own to hang on the wall or in the window. You can even make something to wear!
Fri
Sep 27, 2024
Artists & Artworks
News & Letters
Learning Resources
The Impact of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington
Using Jean-Antoine Houdon’s portraits of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington at the Detroit Institute of Arts, students will explore the life stories of these figures to deepen their understanding of the importance of individual political and social contributions during the American Revolutionary period.
Multiple PDFs
DIA At Home | Drawing Activities
Students call upon their own life experiences and imagination in these drawing activities as they explore what elements can be used to create a still life, portrait, and self-portrait.
Picturing Identity: Exploring Portraiture at the DIA
Through exploration of portraiture and self-portraiture across time and cultures in the DIA’s collection, students will understand how artists use pose, symbolism, clothing, facial expression, objects and other details to communicate information about people’s identity in portraits and their place within their culture.
Multiple PDFs
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