A selection of Hair Wars stylists will demonstrate some of their innovative hair creations in a drop-in style demonstration. Throughout the day, these stylists will work with various models to create works of art from hair. With videos and images from past Hair Wars shows, this demo offers a fun experience into this unique, Detroit-born entertainment.

This collection of short films from the 2024 New York International Children's Film Festival highlights Black narratives that transcend national boundaries, culture, and language, with films in English, French, Zulu, and even ASL. These films celebrate the joy, determination, resilience, and complexity of being young and Black, while underscoring the vibrancy of Black storytelling.

Father and daughter puppeteer team, String Theory Theater create imaginative stories employing various narrative styles and puppetry formats, including hand puppets, rod puppets, crankies, shadow puppets, and more. String Theory Theater’s colorful design and hilarious wit results in thought-provoking performances that are entertaining for families with children 7 and up. (50 min)

Presented with live ASL interpretation.

Capacity is limited – seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance start.

Reg Pettibone, a Native American champion dancer of the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin, along with members of his family, offers an authentic exploration of Native American culture through dance, song, and narration, all with a strong environmental focus. Pettibone shares his belief that these dances have existed since the dawn of humanity and must continue to be passed down to future generations.

This program is suitable for families with children of all ages and takes place in the DIA’s Rivera Court, presented with live ASL interpretation.

Weekend Family Programs at the DIA are generously presented by the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation.

See "The Rooster's Crow" Automaton Clock come to life in the DIA's European Medieval & Renaissance galleries during its once-monthly day of operation!

Throughout the day, visitors can see this rare 16th-century clock's mechanical rooster flap its wings and open its beak every fifteen minutes, and witness the figures of seven princes parade around an enthroned emperor as the clock strikes each hour.

Winding the clock for one day each month is vital to maintaining its fully functional condition. This important conservation work offers a unique opportunity to see a work of Renaissance art and technology in motion.

Kick off the winter holiday season with a family portrait at the DIA! Photography students from Inside Southwest Detroit and Documenting DETROIT—nonprofits dedicated to empowering communities to authentically and ethically document their own stories—invite you to enjoy a studio portrait session. Discover your perfect pose with dramatic lighting that helps tell your unique story.

Participants will receive a complimentary 5x7 print of their portrait, while supplies last.

Noel Night is a festive open house in Midtown Detroit and the Cultural Center districts, showcasing a variety of holiday traditions at Michigan's premier arts institutions, historic churches, galleries, and small businesses. It offers an evening filled with performances and holiday experiences for all ages—completely free.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) will participate in the festivities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with engaging activities for visitors:

DIA Indoor Events:

• Pop-Up Portrait Studio with Inside Southwest Detroit and Documenting DETROIT (Great Hall, 2.– 4 p.m., free)
• Santa Photos (Great Hall, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., free)
• Drop-In Workshop: Luminaries (12 – 4 p.m., free)
• Violin Divas Performance (Lecture Hall, 4 – 4:45 p.m., free)
• Sean Blackman Trio (Lecture Hall, 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. free)
• Detroit Film Theatre Screening of Flow (3 p.m. & 7 p.m., ticketed)

Outdoor Events (Woodward Plaza & Lawn):

These activities will continue after the DIA closes at 5:00 p.m.

• Ice Sculpting (3 p.m.–9 p.m.)
• Salvation Army Sing-Along (8 p.m.–9 p.m.)

For more details, visit Noel Night's official website.

To commemorate Lunar New Year, make your own lion or dragon face out of tag board, paper, and raffia.

Use rubber stamps and fabric markers to give your own personal meaning to a decorated piece of silk fabric.

USA/2011–directed by Martin Scorsese | 147 min.

Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) lives within the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. Hugo's job is to oil and maintain the station's clocks, but to him, his more important task is protecting a broken automaton and a notebook left to him by his late father (Jude Law). Accompanied by the goddaughter (Chloë Grace Moretz) of an embittered toy merchant (Ben Kingsley), Hugo embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton and find a place he can call home.

Earning 11 Academy Award nominations, Hugo is a beautiful homage to early silent film and clockwork automatons.

Chassica Kirchhoff, DIA Assistant Curator of European Sculpture & Decorative Arts, will introduce this special screening with a brief presentation about The Rooster’s Crow Automaton Clock, a mechanical marvel in the DIA’s collection reminiscent of the wondrous clock in Hugo. Recommended for families with children ages 8 and up. 

“A dazzling and rapturous tribute to the magic of movies.” –Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Weekend Family Programs at the DIA are generously presented by the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation.