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!

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection. No experience is necessary. All supplies provided. For ages 6 - Adult (children ages 16 and younger should be accompanied by an adult). Capacity is limited.

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the work in the DIA's collection. No experience necessary. All supplies provided. For ages 6 and up (children ages 16 and younger should be accompanied by an adult).
 

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the work in the DIA's new installation, Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois. No experience necessary. All supplies provided. For ages 6 and up (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult).

Image: Tiff Massey, (American, b. 1982). Everyday Arsenal, 2018. Steel. Collection of the artist.

Rubab player Homayoun Sakhi and tabla player Salar Nader are masters of their generation, and together they will explore the rhythmic pulse that fuses Afghan and Indian percussion and draws out the parallels with Hindustani music.

Presented in connection with the special exhibition The Art of Dining: Food Culture in the Islamic World, on view from September 22, 2024 through January 5, 2025. Free with museum admission.

Tala Mela Jathi means unified beats in rhythmic harmony, and this performance of original music and dance celebrates unity, lifts hearts, and connects souls. Led by composer Mark Stone and choreographer Lalitha Ramamoorthy, Stone Sound Collective merges African and Indian percussion with wind instruments and dance to create a mesmerizing experience. This dynamic performance will inspire curiosity and is perfect for families.

Featuring:

Mark Stone - array mbira, gyil xylophone, and karimba

Matt Dufresne - saxophones, bass clarinet, flutes, and nadaswaram

Sam Jeyasingham - mridangam, tabla, kanjira, thavil, and morsing

Lalitha Ramamoorthy - dance

Suvarna Pappu - dance

Free with museum admission. Capacity is limited and seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance start.  

The Adventures of Dimitri and Banana Sandwich, a puppet comedy/mystery for all ages, is a whimsical journey into Detroit's contemporary art world with Dimitri and Banana Sandwich, two fictional young artists on a mission. When Dimitri's prized scooter vanishes, suspicions point to a mysterious sculptor, setting off a zany escapade through Detroit's vibrant neighborhoods. Meet puppet versions of real-life Detroit artists like Tyree Guyton and his iconic Heidelberg Project.

Flying Cardboard Theater’s distinctive hand and rod puppets, live music and handmade scenery is performed on a traditional puppet stage, inviting the audience to join the adventure and interact with the puppet characters firsthand.

For all ages. This program is free with museum admission. Limited capacity seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance. Presented with live American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.

Join Iraqi multimedia artist Sadik Kwaish Alfraji and Diana Abouali, Director of the Arab American National Museum, in a conversation about food, memory, and the meaning of home, in conjunction with the exhibition The Art of Dining: Food Culture in the Islamic World, opening at the DIA on September 22, 2024.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1960, Alfraji has been based in the Netherlands since the 1990s. The Art of Dining features Alfraji’s A Thread of Light Between My Mother’s Fingers and Heaven, a new commission created for this exhibition. Consisting of a large-scale animation, drawings, and photographs, the work explores the artist’s memories of his mother, her homemade bread, and family meals in Baghdad.

Abouali joined the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, in 2019. As director, she has spearheaded projects to update exhibitions, grow the museum’s artist-in-residence program, and strengthen ties to the community, among other initiatives. Born in Toronto, Canada, to Palestinian parents, she has a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and has worked in the museum and cultural heritage sectors in Palestine, Jordan, and the U.S.

This program is co-sponsored by the DIA Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures and Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art.

(1939/USA - directed by Victor Fleming and King Vidor)

DIA Member Exclusive! Follow the yellow brick road to an evening of wonder and joy with a delightful Dinner and Movie event to start your Thanksgiving weekend. Indulge in a family dinner that's perfect for sharing and savoring together. After dinner, settle in for a FREE screening of the timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz. Relive the enchanting journey down the yellow brick road with Dorothy, Toto, and all your favorite characters in stunning cinematic glory. Whether it's your first time experiencing this beloved tale or a cherished tradition, it's sure to be a magical evening for all ages. (102min.)

Dinner service begins at 5:45 p.m.

Screening begins at 7 p.m.

Dinner with the movie is SOLD OUT. The movie screening is free and tickets are still available to reserve in advance. No tickets sold at the door. For DIA members only.

Dinner options

Choice of main: Kansas City BBQ Fried Chicken Sliders, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Mac & Cheese
Choice of side: Southwest Corn Salad, Tater Tots, French Fries
Dessert: Cupcakes, Red Apple Lollipops

USA/1922-directed by Alan Dwan

Robin Hood is a silent adventure film produced by and starring Douglas Fairbanks, a swashbuckling adventure based on the tale of the medieval hero Robin Hood, and the first to present elements of the take-from-the-rich and give-to-the-poor legend that became familiar to audiences for decades on. Robin Hood was also the first motion picture to have a Hollywood premiere (at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre) and the most expensive film produced in its day. It remains one of the most exciting and entertaining American films of the silent era and will be even more so when the DFT presents it with a live score composed and played by David Drazin.

For ages 10 and up. (132 min.) Free with museum admission.

“The superlatives that press agents have coined during the past ten years can now be put to profitable use. They can all be wrapped up, in bundles of twelve, and all applied to Douglas Fairbanks’ Robin Hood.” -Robert Sherwood, The New York Herald, 1922