Mike Monford is a dynamic jazz musician, saxophonist, composer, jazz historian, and executive producer based in Detroit. He has dedicated over 30 years to practicing, performing, and experimenting with the universal language of Jazz.

Monford has spent the last 10 years touring the world performing with Les Nubians and Marc Cary’s Harlem Sessions. In February 2022, he played at Carnegie Hall with the Autophysiopsychic Millennium, a music collective that studies the music methodology of the late Dr. Yusef Abdul Lateef.

It can be hard to make friends—especially if you have tentacles. Journey to Antarctica as a curious squid seeks connection in the most unlikely places. Penguins, orcas, and jellyfish abound in an icy landscape for this heartwarming tale of friendship.

Beautifully handcrafted puppets, an original score by Ned Haskins, and a good dose of silliness, combine to create a comedic, wordless performance that celebrates our ability to create connections, despite our differences. (45min.)

Designed for kids ages 5 to 10, but fun for all ages! Capacity is limited. Seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance.

This program is supported through the generous support of the Dr. Audley M. Grossman and Paul McPharlin Puppetry Funds.

2024/France—directed by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach | 73 min.

Paulette feels guilty after punishing her daughter Linda, and would do anything to make it up to her. Linda demands her mother make chicken with peppers, which reminds her of the dish her father used to cook. But with a strike closing stores across town and people crowding the streets, Linda's request leads to an outrageous series of events that spiral comically out of control, as Paulette goes to all lengths to keep her promise.

Directors Malta and Laudenbach unleash a unique visual marvel of hand-painted animation and a story that blends slapstick comedy, music, and family drama, as Paulette and Linda ultimately confront the grief of a tragedy, and the meal that could bring them closer together.

In French with English subtitles. For all ages!

1999/USA—directed by Brad Bird | 96 min.

DIA Member Exclusive! Take family movie night to the next level at the DIA with a special 25th-anniversary screening of The Iron Giant in the beautiful Detroit Film Theatre Auditorium. Before the lights dim and the reels start rolling, enjoy to a tasty family dinner and set the stage for an evening of joy and laughter.

The Iron Giant is a film that resonates across generations. Follow young Hogarth and his unlikely metal companion on a brave journey of self-discovery that will touch your heart and ignite your imagination.

Dinner service begins at 5:45 p.m., film at 7 p.m.

Menu

• Choice of main: hamburger, hot dog, mac & cheese
• Choice of side: salad, potato chips, french fries
• Choice of drink: fountain pop, milk
• Dessert: ice cream float

2022/France—directed by Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger | 80 min.

Ernest and Celestine return in this delightful and joyous follow-up to their first Academy Award®–nominated adventure, which introduced a bear and mouse as the unlikeliest of friends.

Ernest remains an ursine troubadour dedicated to a life of music and art, and his constant grouchiness is softened by the creative whims of his mouse friend Celestine. When she accidentally breaks his beloved violin, they must take a long voyage to Ernest’s country of Gibberitia, home to the only artist who can repair it.

But when they arrive, they are shocked to discover that all forms of music have been banned in Gibberitia for many years, and a land once known across the world for its incredible musicians has fallen silent. It is up to Ernest and Celestine and their new friends, including a mysterious masked outlaw, to bring music and happiness back to the land of bears.

In French with English subtitles. For families with children 7 and up.

Before the invention of the printing press, manuscripts would be decorated with gold, silver, or precious paints in a process known as “illumination.” Try your hand at illumination using a variety of art materials, including gel pens and metallic markers. All materials provided!

Join us for the Detroit City Chess Club simul match with Jessica Hyatt. Hyatt, 18, is the highest-rated African American female chess player in history! With a peak United States Chess Federation (USCF) rating of 2168, and a FIDE rating of 1948, she is on her way to clinching the master title!

In 2019, Hyatt won the New York State Scholastic Championships, and has since been invited by the USCF to represent the US internationally as a part of their youth team (2019–present). In 2022, Hyatt received a special honoree at the Liberty Science Center’s Genius Gala.

In 2023, she became the Pan-American Youth Female Under-18 Blitz Champion, the KCF All-Girls Nationals Champion, and represented the US for the World Youth Chess Championships. Along with chess, Hyatt plays ranked junior tennis and golf, and is a jazz pianist.

The brand-spanking-new 2024 edition of CatVideoFest is just what the doctor ordered: a hand-selected, carefully curated collection of the most entertaining, inventive, and hilarious cat videos of the year.

An underground sensation that has packed theaters for years, CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience that surprises and charms—a downright celebratory event on the DFT’s big screen. Tickets go quickly, and advance purchase is recommended.  In English and Feline. For all ages. (73 min.)

“When the history of this era is written, the primacy of a certain type of cat video will be recognized and celebrated ... If you don’t understand the appeal, no explanation will illuminate you.” —Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Join us for a very special event on the final weekend of Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 – 1971. Preceding the 7:30 p.m. screening of Stormy Weather, the DFT will present an overture performed by Frank Isaac Robinson, known in his early musical career as Sugar Chile Robinson, an American jazz pianist and Detroit native who became famous as a child prodigy in the mid-1940s.

Robinson was born in 1938, the youngest of seven children of Clarence A. and Elizabeth Robinson. He taught himself to play the piano by ear and won a talent show at Detroit's Paradise Theatre when he was three. In 1945, he played with Lionel Hampton on the radio, and appeared in the Hollywood film No Leave, No Love. In 1946, Robinson played for President Harry S. Truman at the White House Correspondents' Association where he shouted out "How'm I Doin', Mr. President?" which became his catchphrase.

Free with admission to Stormy Weather.

Umar Bin Hassan, a founding member of The Last Poets, epitomizes the essence of spoken word artistry and activism. With a career spanning decades, he has collaborated with icons such as Public Enemy, George Clinton, and Bootsy Collins, infusing his poetry with potent social commentary and raw emotion. Bin Hassan will be joined by Straight Ahead, a group of inventive instrumentalists who have shown themselves to be powerful composers and arrangers. Straight Ahead was the first all-woman group signed to Atlantic Jazz records.

Concert of Colors is metro Detroit’s free annual global music festival, an upbeat event celebrating diverse World music traditions-including the indigenous music of the Motor City. The festival also hosts the Forum on Community, Culture and Race, a series of conversations with artists, cultural, and community leaders examining the role of the arts in overcoming social barriers.

For a complete schedule of Concert of Colors programs at the Detroit Institute of Arts and neighboring institutions, visit the festival website at concertofcolors.com

Concert of Colors is produced through the partnership of Culture Source, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, ACCESS,  University of Michigan – Detroit Center, Michigan Science Center, Detroit Historical Museum, College For Creative Studies, Hellenic Museum of Michigan, Third Man Records, Lowriders of Detroit, Science Gallery Detroit, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Midtown Inc., University of Michigan Dearborn, University of Michigan – Detroit, Arab American National Museum, WDET, The Scarab Club, International Institute of Metro Detroit, and Marx Layne & Company