Please join FAAC as we recap the programs and events of 2024–2025 and look ahead to what’s coming in 2025–2026. Also, Katherine Kasdorf, Curator of Arts of Asia and the Islamic World, will lead a tour featuring recent acquisitions in the Asian and Islamic Galleries.

Support the FAAC Annual Meeting by making a $25 donation per person to the FAAC General Fund. Please contact Tarya Stanford at 313-833-1721 or Tstanford@dia.org.

Image: Hussein Madi (Labanese, 1938-2024) The Arabic Alphabet, 1973, aquatint. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Dr. Sami Khalifé, 2023.88

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at works from the collection. No experience is necessary, and all supplies are provided.

For ages 6 and up. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Capacity is limited.

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at works from the collection. No experience is necessary, and all supplies are provided.

For ages 6 and up. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Capacity is limited.

Create your own pencil drawing to take home while exploring the collection up close. No experience necessary, and all supplies are provided. Open to ages 6 through adult (children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult). Space is limited.

Join us for a meaningful day of art, song, and community as we celebrate the public opening of Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation. This special event begins with the official dedication of Jason Quigno’s sculpture Maawandoonan (Bring Them Together) on the DIA's North Lawn.

The day opens with a powerful welcome song by Asiginaak-Negamojig (Blackbird Singers), followed by remarks from museum staff and artist Jason Quigno, who will speak about the inspiration behind his work. The dedication concludes with a special honor song to mark the occasion.

Throughout the afternoon, enjoy hands-on artmaking for all ages—including a Guest Artist workshop on the North Lawn with Konstance Patton, an artist whose work is featured in the exhibition. Konstance will lead visitors in creating a vibrant collaborative mural on canvas that will later be displayed at the DIA! There will also be puppet-making in the studio, and drawing in the galleries. These drop-in activities reflect the themes of continuance, creativity, and connection explored in the exhibition.

At 1 p.m., gather in Rivera Court for a performance by Asiginaak-Negamojig, a women’s circle devoted to singing solely in Ojibwe (Anishinaabemowin) to strengthen language and connection through music. Through seasonal songs and reflections of artworks, the group shares Anishinaabe stories of survival, renewal, and relationship with the land. This performance bridges traditional and contemporary voices, connecting song with the visual language of the exhibition.

Sculpture Dedication Ceremony, Noon (North Lawn)

• Welcome Song – Asiginaak-Negamojig
• Remarks by Museum Staff
• Artist Talk – Jason Quigno
• Maanda Giizhigak (Honor Song) – Asiginaak-Negamojig

Drop-in artmaking activities, 12–4 p.m. 

• Collaborative Mural with Konstance Patton (North Lawn)
• Wildlife Puppet Workshop (Art-Making Studio)
• Drawing in the Galleries (Great Hall)

Closing, 1 p.m. (Rivera Court)

• Performance by Asiginaak-Negamojig
• Songs and reflections tied to artworks and seasons
• Remarks by museum staff
• Round Dance Kamloops Song Goodbye/Travel Song

This celebration is free with general admission. All ages are welcome. 

Come witness the continuation of Anishinaabe art and tradition—through sculpture, song, storytelling, and shared experience 

Join us for the third annual Educators Night, a free evening designed to connect teachers, school administrators, and educators from across Southeast Michigan with the rich educational and cultural resources of the Detroit Cultural Center and its nonprofit partners. Visit seven museums and cultural institutions across the Detroit Cultural Center. This district-wide open house invites educators to explore field trip opportunities, meet institutional professionals, and discover hands-on learning programs and student well-being resources.

The event includes free admission for all educators, light refreshments, teacher giveaways, and classroom-ready materials from participating organizations. Pre-registered guests will receive a Detroit Cultural Center tote bag, and fun teacher freebies will be available while supplies last. Educators can explore seven cultural institutions, connect with peers and nonprofit partners, discover field trips, workshops, traveling programs, and summer opportunities, attend live performances and professional development talks, and access curriculum-aligned resources to support creative and inclusive education.

This event is free to attend, but registration on Eventbrite is required.

Participating Cultural Institutions:

The Carr Center

• Focus: Music
• Address:  15 E. Kirby St.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

• Focus: Culture, History, Theatre
• Address: 315 E. Warren Ave.

Detroit Historical Museum

• Focus: History Resources, Natural History, Geography
• Address: 5401 Woodward Ave.

Detroit Institute of Arts

• Focus: Art and Design
• Address: 5200 Woodward Ave.

Detroit Public Library

• Focus: Early Childhood Development and Literacy
• Address: 5201 Woodward Ave.

Michigan Science Center

• Focus: STEM
• Address: 5020 John R St.

Wayne State University – Welcome Center

• Focus: Educational Well-being – Elevating, Innovating, and Transforming for the Public Good
• Address: 42 W. Warren Ave.

Join DanceAbility Detroit for an afternoon of movement and sound improvisation at the DIA on Thursday, August 14, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

We’ll gather at 1 p.m. inside the museum’s Great Hall. At this “All Aboard” spot, we’ll get to know one another through movement and sound improvisation with our live musician, King Sophia. After a bathroom break, we’ll head outdoors (weather permitting) to the sculpture located to the left of the John R entrance. We’ll wrap up by 4 p.m., though you're welcome to leave earlier if needed.

Wear shades of blue since we are the water and the boat flowing through.

This evening will include an overview of the exhibition Ofrendas: Celebrating Día de Muertos 2025. A representative from the Mexican Consulate will discuss the history and practice of creating an ofrenda altar, and participants will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition with learning resources designed to support student engagement and field trips. A complimentary cocktail bar will be provided.

All K-12 educators are welcome. SCECHs are pending.

Be among the first to experience the DIA's newest exhibition, Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation, during this exclusive Member Preview. 

Other exclusive member events this weekend:

• Lecture with exhibition curator Denene De Quintal, 6 p.m. Friday
• Lecture with exhibition artist Jonathan Thunder, 1 p.m. Saturday

Be among the first to experience Reimagine African American Art during this exclusive Member Preview. 

Explore works from the DIA's renowned African American art collection in a reimagined presentation at the heart of the museum, right next to Rivera Court. This fresh take on the collection celebrates the creativity, impact, and resilience of Black artists.

Also, members are invited to join a lecture with DIA Department Head and Curator of African American Art Valerie Mercer at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17.