The Friends of African and African American Art will present the 31st Annual Alain Locke Awards to artist Nari Ward.

Ward will receive the Alain Locke International Award for his creation of sculptural installations over the past 40 years made from discarded material found and collected. He recontextualizes this material in thought-provoking juxtapositions that convey complex metaphorical meanings to confront social and political realities surrounding race, migration, democracy, and community. Currently he is the distinguished professor and head of studio art at Hunter College in New York.

The Alain Locke Recognition Award will be received by Linda and David Whitaker, renowned collectors of African and African American Art who often generously share their knowledge of this endeavor with the community.  

A reception will follow the awards event.
 

Join Dr. Peter Bell, curator of European Paintings, Sculpture & Drawings at the Cincinnati Art Museum, in an insightful look at the bronze statuette during the Renaissance.

The independent bronze statuette emerged in the second half of the 15th century in central and northern Italy as a type of art object prized in court and university circles. Its proliferation in the decades around 1500 is a hallmark of the Italian Renaissance.

The meaningful confluence of material, size, and subject in the Renaissance bronze statuette, and its unique relationship to its beholder, is beautifully illustrated by four of the earliest and most celebrated statuettes. On loan from the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, they are the focus of an exceptional exhibition at the DIA, on view through March 3, 2024. 

This lecture is free with registration and open to all DIA visitors!
 

This riveting exploration of family, history, and tragedy goes deep into the story of Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters, unpacking a complex family dynamic through interviews and performance to examine how the Tunisian woman’s two eldest—teenagers at the time—were radicalized by extremists and became members of ISIS.

Casting professional actors as the missing daughters and acclaimed Egyptian-Tunisian actor Hend Sabri as Olfa, Four Daughters mixes interviews with the family alongside reenactments of pivotal moments, and ultimately gives the women agency over their own rich, complex family story. Winner of Best Documentary at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, this compelling nonfiction work explores the complex ties that bind mothers and daughters. 

In Arabic and French with English subtitles. (107 min.)

“A revelatory, poignant blend of drama, memory and self-scrutiny.” –Richard Brody, The New Yorker  
 

(Germany/2023—directed by Jialing Zhang)  

For decades, China has been monitoring its citizens using high-tech security and surveillance. In this fascinating documentary, Jialing Zhang (co-director of One Child Nation) immerses us in the daily reality of half a billion cameras pointed at people as they go about their daily lives, invasive neighborhood watch programs, employees monitored for stress levels, and a ”social credit” point system that has rewards for community service and penalties for societal infractions.

With the assistance of dozens of anonymous locals, Zhang focuses on three courageous women fighting for civil liberties and justice. This is a bracing portrait of a society for whom privacy is all but extinct, and a warning for democracies using surveillance in unprecedented ways. 

In Mandarin with English subtitles. (97 min.) 

“Absolutely vital. Remarkably balanced and journalistically sophisticated.” —Jason Gorber, POV Magazine  
 

ArtSeen is a program of the DIA's Founders Junior Council (FJC) to give its members and friends a private exhibition viewing and reception to socialize and network.

This ArtSeen event includes a private viewing of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898-1971, and a reception with light bites and a hosted bar. Valet parking is available.
 

Image: Fayard and Harold Nicholas in Stormy Weather, 1943. 35mm transferred to video. Director: Andrew L. Stone. Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. © 1943 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

Friends of African and African American Art present an evening of spoken word, song, and live music, to honor the spirit of the DIA’s Regeneration exhibit. Rosemarie Wilson’s Jazzetry revue features performances by award-winning Detroit musicians and poets Will Harris on keys, Takashi Iio on bass, Randal Wilson on guitar, with poetry performed by BWard, Jason Ford, Esau Parker, and Tawana Petty. Rosemarie Wilson — aka One Single Rose — is a singer, actor, filmmaker, the author of three poetry collections, and winner of the 2023 Detroit Black Music /Spoken Word Award. 

This program is part of a companion series of film and music events presented in celebration of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts Feb. 4–June 23, 2024. Regeneration is organized by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.  

(USA/2023—directed by Ava DuVernay) 

Join us for a special advance screening of this remarkable film. Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Ava DuVernay, Origin chronicles the tragedy and triumph of Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates a global phenomenon.

Portrayed by Academy Award® nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Wilkerson experiences both love and unfathomable personal loss as she crosses continents and cultures to write Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, a culture-shifting New York Times’ bestseller. Based on her book, this film explores the fight for a more humane future for all.

Experience it at the DFT prior to the film’s theatrical release. Official Selection, Venice, and Toronto Film Festivals. (135 min.) 

“An exhortation to use every heartbeat wisely.” —Stephanie Zacharek, Time
 

(Mexico/France/2023—directed by Lila Avilés)    

Seven-year-old Sol (Naíma Sentíes) is helping her aunts prepare for her father’s surprise birthday party. As the house becomes increasingly boisterous, her father’s mysterious absence grows more and more concerning. 

“There isn’t a false note in the tender Mexican drama Tótem With intricate staging and camerawork, and an expressionistically warm palette — along with charming appearances from the natural world — writer-director Lila Avilés creates a richly textured, deeply compassionate portrait of a family that’s falling apart as one of the youngest members comes into consciousness.” –Manohla Dargis, The New York Times.

 In Spanish with English subtitles. (95 min.)
 

Thank you for your interest. This event is sold out.

Join us for a panel discussion with Detroit artists Sydney James, Hubert Massey, and Mario Moore, co-organized by Cranbrook Art Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts, with introductions by Laura Mott, chief curator, Cranbrook Art Museum, and Katie Pfohl, associate curator, Contemporary Art, Detroit Institute of Arts. 

Organized to accompany Cranbrook Art Museum’s exhibition Skilled Labor: Black Realism in Detroit, on view through March 3, 2024, this discussion will take place in the DIA’s Rivera Court, the location of Diego Rivera’s iconic Detroit Industry Murals.  

The Detroit Industry Murals are a hallmark of the DIA and the city of Detroit, and have influenced generations of artists, particularly those who are part of Detroit’s vibrant contemporary mural movement. During this discussion, James, Massey, and Moore will discuss Rivera’s enduring influence on mural practice in Detroit.

A symbol of creative vibrancy for the city, contemporary mural work also raises questions of representation, equity, and ownership connected to Rivera’s explorations of labor and industry almost a century ago. This vital dialogue among artists will explore how mural work continues to shape Detroit’s artistic and cultural landscape. 

Image: Hubert Massey, Sketch for Detroit-Crossroad of Innovation (in process). Courtesy of Dr. Hubert Massey. 

Black musicians have always been integral to country, folk, blues, and Americana music genres; in many instances, it was Black musicians who first created these forms. The American music industry has an equally long history of not supporting them, or excluding them completely.

For these reasons, Black Opry was founded by Nashville's Holly G. as a collective of like-minded musicians, writers, producers, and supporters who created a website where Black artists could be heard and celebrated. The Black Opry Revue is the touring element of this collective and highlights their diversity of sound and stories. Every Revue features a unique line-up of Black artists.

For this program Friday Night Live will include performances by Isaiah Cunningham, Christine Melody, Jett Holden, and Nathan Graham. 

This program is part of a companion series of film and music events presented in celebration of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts Feb. 4–June 23, 2024. Regeneration is organized by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.  

Black History Month at the DIA is generously supported by Arn & Nancy Tellem.