A year ago, DIA team members created PRISM, an Employee Belonging Group centered around LGBTQ+ identity and allyship, with a goal of increasing a sense of belonging for museum team members, as well as building stronger connections between the DIA and the local LGBTQ+ community. PRISM’s creation "came out of a larger commitment at the DIA around IDEA: inclusion, diversity, equity and access,” explains Colleen McNamara, Production Coordinator, Exhibitions, and current Chair of PRISM. Carla Tinsley-Smith, the DIA’s Director, IDEA, "put out a call for requests for different types of groups. There were a lot for one that centered on LGBTQ+ identity,” says McNamara.  She, along with Sean Rhaesa, Manager, Technical Security Operations, and Miranda Malec, Registration Assistant, volunteered to lead (Malec and Rhaesa are PRISM’s Vice Chairs). “We were just so excited. We’re sort of the flagship for this opportunity,” says Rhaesa. 

McNamara, Rhaesa, and Malec took the DIA’s staff engagement survey as a model and developed a version that asked DIA team members to rate their sense of belonging and identity. “The idea was to have solid metrics around something that feels intangible, so we could show the group’s impact,” says McNamara. “People said that just the creation of the group had made a difference in their sense of belonging.”  

Members of DIA’s PRISM group participated in the Motor City Pride parade on June 9, helping generate awareness of and attendance at other DIA Pride Month activities, including a make-your-own multicolor ribbon baton at the museum’s booth. “It’s an all-ages craft activity,” says Rhaesa. “The crafts projects at Pride tend to be for kids, but this is something fun for adults too, and they can take the batons to the parade.” 
 

PRISM has been working to support and encourage turnout at other Pride events happening at the museum this month. Going forward, PRISM hopes to develop more of its own events. 

The more than 60 DIA team members who are part of PRISM have had the opportunity to participate in multiple volunteer activities, including holiday decorating at the Ruth Ellis Center, which provides services and support for LGBT youth in the Detroit area. They’ve hosted multiple events for DIA staff and PRISM members, including a talk with artist Tylonn Sawyer exploring the intersection of American history, politics, and pop culture through a Black, queer lens; a button-making workshop in the DIA’s Artmaking Studio; and a visit to Cranbrook Art Museum exhibitions Skilled Labor and LeRoy Foster. 

The basis of much of their work centers on education and growth. 

“A lot of our work has been focused on training and education inside the DIA,” McNamara adds. “A big part of it is a broader understanding of, and education among, staff members about how they can support their colleagues. A lot of that work has been done around pronouns and gender identity and providing more training for staff on how you can be supportive as an ally, so the work is not all falling on the individual.” 

“PRISM is now included in the orientation packet that new hires get. So now, when people start, they find out about us right away,” says Rhaesa. “When you walk into a place that says we have an open and inclusive environment, and you also see materials that say we have an LGBTQ+ group, you don’t feel so alone.” 

Aside from hosting events and internal trainings, another important goal for PRISM is to ensure that LGBTQ+ team members and visitors see themselves reflected in the museum’s collection and programming. 

“Representation came up in the survey a lot,” says McNamara. “Folks mentioned they didn’t necessarily feel their identity was represented in the museum’s galleries, or events. We all know there have been plenty of queer artists, but that’s an area we’re excited to work on with other departments, to highlight the art in our collection that is by queer artists, or feature themes related to LGBTQ+ identity. That would make employees feel represented and affect the way visitors interact with our collection.” 

How did the DIA navigate a camera-mounted drone through narrow galleries filled with fragile, priceless art? Very, very carefully.

Every day, hundreds of visitors to the Detroit Institute of Arts pull out their phones or even personal cameras and take photos and video of the masterpieces within. But only once has a drone toured the space, taking the viewer outside and inside the museum — from its beautiful grounds and Beaux-Arts facade to the top of the iconic Rivera Detroit Industry Murals, through Kresge Court and into hushed galleries. How did the idea of having a remote-controlled camera buzz at high speed past ancient artifacts and irreplaceable masterpieces come about?

It started with Adam Kosberg, the DIA’s Director, Visual Media, after he saw an exuberant video about Wrigley Field (sorry, Tigers fans) made by Minneapolis-based Sky Candy Studios that takes the viewer on a swooping tour through the city, up into the stadium, and onto the field during a game. “I’ve done several drone shoots at various museums, but only exteriors,” says Kosberg. “It occurred to me that this is a crew I would trust inside the DIA, and I thought, let’s do something that’s never been done before.

“I feel it’s my responsibility to create media that enhances accessibility, that encourages people to visit who might not believe an art museum is for them,” adds Kosberg. “And I thought a video like this could help demonstrate the wonders of this building."

Kosberg contacted Sky Candy and brought the idea to Jennifer Snyder, the DIA’s Chief Digital Officer. At first, Snyder thought he was proposing a straightforward outside shoot to capture the museum exterior, its outdoor artworks (Rodin’s The Thinker, Tony Smith’s Gracehoper) and the extensive grounds. “I said sure,” Snyder recalls. “Then he said, ‘no, I want to bring the drone inside.’”

To no one's surprise, the prospect of a remotely operated flying object buzzing through the galleries was not a slam-dunk; after all, museums are explicitly about safeguarding and protecting their collections for future generations. But after “many, many meetings,” says Snyder, the idea caught on. “I was skeptical,” says Christopher Foster, the DIA’s Director, Conservation. “And the Wrigley Field video scared me even more.”

Eventually, the group came to a compromise and decided to film drone footage only in large public spaces like Kresge Court and Rivera Court. In the galleries, the videographers used a handheld camera for their shots.  

Weeks of planning followed, as museum staff chose the on- and off-limits areas. Jordan Alberino, Sky Candy’s Owner/Director of Partnerships and Operations, brought a crew to scout locations, create a shoot schedule, and calm some nerves. “This was our first museum,” he says. "It was so exciting to see everyone’s passion and hear them explain the exhibitions. I didn't realize how colossal the DIA is

“The drone pilot and I arrived a day early, walked the location, looked at blueprints, and came up with a four-to-five-minute flight plan that would keep the viewer engaged,” Alberino continues. “We showed the conservators the drone we were going to use, so they could see how light it was, and how safe. Inside the museum, you’re not dealing with variables like wind, so we’re able to get these incredible shots.” The drone itself is about a foot wide and 4 inches high, and a stripped-down camera is attached to the top to keep it as lightweight as possible.

Finally, shoot day arrived, and the weather cooperated. “The video took place over one day, starting at 8 a.m.,” says Alberino, with a team that always included a conservator on stand-by. “Exteriors look the best at sunup and sundown, so we wanted to capture those moments. We also wanted to get the Rivera murals at a specific time—between 9 and 9:45 a.m., when direct sunlight would be coming through the windows at the top of the hall and illuminating certain parts of the mural, and you get a nice flare.”

“The first shot we did was the opening shot of the film where the drone moves from the exterior of the building through the main doors into the building,” says Kosberg. “We had emphasized to the crew that they wouldn’t be able to fly 40 or 50 miles an hour past the Van Goghs, so they knew that if they were going to do anything ‘daring’ it would have to be an exterior shot. The pilot started by flying along the building over the tree line. The plan was to circle and then fly through the Gracehoper sculpture, which has a good 15 feet of clearance underneath it, so it wouldn’t exactly qualify as a dangerous shot per se. But the drone circled around and all of a sudden, the pilot flew it through the tree adjacent to the sculpture, over one branch and under another. I looked at that afterwards and I still don’t see how he had the vision to make it work.”

The shoot went off without a hitch. “We filmed on a Monday when the museum is closed, so all the people you see are staff,” says Snyder. “There’s a shot of me from the back looking at an artwork, and I’m hearing the drone, which sounds like a swarm of bees, come up from behind, and it was all I could do not to turn around and run away.”

“When you're walking around the museum, you're typically looking at things at eye level,” says Alberino. “But the Rivera murals are 20, 30 feet high, and there's just as much detail at the top as at the bottom. With the camera we were using, and the angle we were capturing, we were able to get up close and personal and show the mural to visitors like they’ve never seen it before.”

“Kresge Court and the murals are iconic,” adds Snyder. “This gave an incredible, dramatic viewpoint you would never get otherwise.”

After several months of post-production, the final product was ready. 

"Museums are starting to lean into the fact that, while static images are fabulous, you don't get the look and feel of something until you do a video,” Snyder adds. “We were very lucky that the Knight Foundation provided the funding for our Visual Media department. The whole point of this video was to engage an audience who might not ever be able to step into the museum. Our audiences love video. It’s how people are learning and absorbing material, especially the younger generations and they are the DIA’s future.”

DIA fans on social media seem to support Snyder’s vision. “What a stunning, spectacular treasure we have in the DIA. You've shown it from a new fascinating, perspective that makes me want to go see it all again,” said Ruthann Bajorek on the DIA’s Facebook post with the video.

Even the conservators are seeing the impact. “I’m happy with the result,” says Foster. “I think other museums are going to see this and think, ‘hmm. Using technology is an awesome way to get people interested.’”

Come see why USA Today readers voted us best art museum in the US two years in a row

In March 2024, the Detroit Institute of Arts was named Best Art Museum in the US by USA Today readers — for the second year in a row! If you’ve never been, here are 10 great reasons to add the DIA to your “must-see museums” list ASAP.

And if you live in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties, the DIA is always free to visit, and many of our programs and exhibitions are free as well!

1. Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals

Diego Rivera’s iconic murals are one of the top reasons to come to the museum. Collectively known as the Detroit Industry Murals, the floor-to-ceiling frescoes were created by renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera in 1932–33 to showcase Detroit's industrial history and serve as a powerful testament to the resilience and spirit of the city and its people.

2. The first Vincent van Gogh to be acquired by a US museum

In 1922, the DIA created a cultural milestone and set a precedent when it became the first US museum to acquire a work by the groundbreaking post-Impressionist Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Today Self-Portrait is one of the museum’s most beloved works, drawing visitors from around the world to admire the Dutch artist’s unique technique and vibrant colors.    

3. World-class exhibitions

Every year, the DIA hosts exhibitions that span various genres, time periods, and cultures. From ancient civilizations to contemporary art, there's always something new and exciting to explore at the museum. Whether you're interested in Renaissance masterpieces, modern sculpture, photography, or even film history, the DIA's rotating exhibitions are a dynamic and enriching experience for visitors of all ages.

4. Free programs

One of the most remarkable aspects of the DIA is its commitment to accessibility. The museum offers a wide range of free programs and events throughout the year, from educational workshops and artist talks to community festivals, film screenings, and hands-on art making for all ages. There's no shortage of opportunities to experience art and culture without breaking the bank.

5. African American art collection

Did you know the DIA was one of the first fine arts institutions to create a curatorial department dedicated entirely to African American art? Now, nearly 25 years later, the DIA is proud to be home to an exceptional collection that showcases an amazing and rich cultural heritage of African American art, including works by renowned artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and Detroit’s own Mario Moore.

6. Detroit Film Theatre

There is nothing like seeing a movie at the DIA's Detroit Film Theatre (DFT), now going into its fifth decade of presenting an incredible roster of films carefully selected by DIA curators and shown in a grand 1927 movie theater. Whether you're craving a timeless classic, a gripping documentary, some great animated shorts for the family or the latest indie gem, the DFT truly has something for everyone.

7. Live music

Looking to kick off the weekend with some fun, and free? The DIA offers world-class musical acts through our Friday Night Live! series. You might experience pulse-racing jazz, virtuoso classical performances, experimental performance or a rarely seen world music ensemble. Whether you're a casual listener or a music fanatic, you’ll find something to groove to at the DIA.

8. Architecture

Beyond its impressive art collection, the DIA itself is a work of art. Designed by renowned architect Paul Philippe Cret and completed in 1927, the museum's neoclassical façade and grand interior spaces provide a visually stunning backdrop for exploring the wonders within. Take a moment to admire the building's architectural details and elegance as you wander through its galleries and corridors.

9. Family-friendly

Looking for something new and fun for the family? Look no further than the DIA, where fun and free activities are on offer almost every day. In addition to the amazing art-filled galleries, there’s family-friendly storytelling, puppet shows, music and more. When the littles need a break, head to the DIA’s Art-making Studio for free workshops and play areas every weekend, then stop by the DIA Cafe or Kresge Court for kid-friendly snacks and meals. Start their love of culture young with a day at the DIA!

10. Broader horizons

At the DIA, visitors will experience artistic traditions from around the globe, whether that’s medieval European paintings to contemporary works by Indigenous artists, and more. By exploring the incredible breadth and expression of human creativity, visitors will truly understand that art knows no borders. Discover new perspectives, expand your horizons, and celebrate the beauty of cultural diversity at the DIA.

The Detroit Institute of Arts is bringing an incredible roster of films to the Detroit Film Theatre this year to complement Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 – 1971. Here, Elliot Wilhelm, the DIA’s Curator, Film Programs and indefatigable movie enthusiast, highlights five favorites (find schedules for all of them and more here) that will leave you amazed, entertained, and moved.

Ten Minutes to Live, Friday, March 29, 7 p.m.

• Directed by Oscar Micheaux

“Oscar Micheaux was a genius and pioneer in every aspect of movies. Ten Minutes to Live is an amazing hour-long murder-suspense film based on two short stories he wrote. He assembled those stories into a feature, set in New York, about a person who receives a note that says, ‘you have ten minutes to live, and when you read this note, that's how much time you're going to have left.’ The film is divided exactly in half, with the same actions told from different points of view.

“This is pretty radical for 1932, and very ambitious. Micheaux faced the same problems that Hollywood studios faced in 1927, when there was a sudden demand for sound movies, but cameras make a lot of noise, and actors had to speak directly into microphones. In Ten Minutes to Live you see Micheaux wrestle with this new form of filmmaking. The scenes in which two people are sitting in a nightclub talking are stilted, but as always, he found brilliant workarounds; he made one of the characters deaf, so from that character’s point of view sound wasn’t significant. And he staged scenes in a nightclub between the different acts of the story, so you have great musical numbers going on where dialogue isn’t needed. Some of the dance numbers are insanely provocative.

“He also wanted to take the camera outside. There’s a wonderful scene where characters are taking a taxi ride up Eighth Avenue in New York City, and you see well-dressed people going in and out of the newly built New Yorker Hotel, near the Empire State Building, which was only a few years old at the time. He blended that into the story — I wouldn’t say seamlessly, but skillfully. He assembled this melding of two stories and made it visually and physically exciting simply through his imaginative film sense, as if to say, ‘I don't care about the restrictions of the medium. I'm going to find a way around it.’ Because of his independence, he was able to create what now looks and feels like an experimental film.”

Films of the Reverend Solomon Sir Jones, Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m.

“This is probably the most important film in many ways, and the least typical. It's a compilation of films made by one man, the Reverend Solomon Sir Jones, who between 1924 and 1928 enjoyed beyond measure the 16-millimeter movie camera he bought to make home movies. There are other home movies in the Regeneration exhibition — Cab Calloway’s, the Nicholas Brothers’, Josephine Baker's — but Jones was filming primarily in Oklahoma. He shot hundreds of hours of footage of African American communities in and around his hometown, and ultimately throughout the state. We see people doing everyday ordinary jobs in and near their homes, and in the businesses they either own or work in. You see schools, dance classes, grocery stores, restaurants, banks. It’s a portrait of real everyday life that is breathtaking in its simplicity, its beauty, and its relatability. To watch a compilation of an hour or so of his films is hypnotic. This is the life we don't see on the front pages, ordinary everyday life. I can't tell you how moving it is. We are so privileged to show a big selection of these films.”

Carmen Jones, Sunday, April 28, 2 p.m.

• Directed by Otto Preminger

“The main astonishment about Carmen Jones is Dorothy Dandridge, who played the lead in the film. You can't find a more exciting cast; her costar was Harry Belafonte. And yet, what did 20th Century Fox do? They took Dorothy Dandridge’s voice and Harry Belafonte's voice out of the picture and had them dubbed by other people. Dorothy Dandridge becomes the first Black woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for this film. I'm convinced one of the reasons she didn't win was not just racism, but because they didn't use her voice in the picture. It's even more shocking for folks now to realize that Harry Belafonte's voice wasn't used either. But the film itself is still really worth seeing.” 

A Raisin in the Sun, Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m.

• Directed by Daniel Petrie, 1961

“A Raisin in the Sun had been a hit Broadway show, and the film uses the same cast: the young Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, a very young, almost unrecognizable Louis Gossett. And of course, you had Claudia McNeil as Mama, the family matriarch. This was the first film with an all-Black cast that white people could relate to on a personal and emotional level. You have an American family that is just scraping by and a dad, played by Poitier, who wants to be a person of means. Mama gets a big insurance payout and decides to buy a nice house in a white neighborhood. And in comes the guy from the white homeowners’ association saying, ‘Hi folks, don’t we all love to live in happiness with our own kind?’ So the family, which had been squabbling and fighting as most families do, comes together around this common enemy.

“A Raisin in the Sun is a really powerful piece of writing. One of the reasons the film still works so well is that the director, Daniel Patrick, didn't have enough money to shoot on location, so it takes place in a series of small, claustrophobic rooms. It feels like you're seeing great theater. If a filmed play is done properly, it's more exciting than being in the front row of a theater or seeing a big spectacular visual experience on screen. This film is the best of both worlds. It didn't get a great release, and it didn’t make a ton of money, but it stuck around and kept getting re-released, which is how I saw it as a kid.

“And now looking at it, it seems really ahead of its time, powerful and absolutely wonderful, and one of the major steps in this history of Black people’s involvement in American film.  Anybody who would dare say that Sidney Poitier was just a glamorous star and not a great actor should look at him in this, his power and excitement, the way his eyes light up when he realizes things that he never thought of for the first time. It's not schmaltzy, it’s real and potent.”

Cabin in the Sky, Sunday, May 12, 2 p.m.

• Directed by Vincente Minelli 

“In 1943, MGM tried out a brand-new director, an up-and-coming person named Vincente Minnelli. For his first feature film, he was given Cabin in the Sky to direct, which is a cliché story about a guy, played by Eddie Rochester Anderson, who's in trouble. He's between life and death, he's got a Good Angel and a Bad Angel, and he has to decide whether he wants to live a straight-and-narrow life with his wife or go on with the drinking and the gambling and the lying. Yes, there's a moral choice that has to be made by the end, but the movie is really about the joy of the musical numbers.

“Minelli was telling a story about a genuinely American culture and making it as lyrical and joyous as he possibly could with the budget constraints that he had. It wasn’t a micro-budgeted picture, but it also wasn’t one of the top-of-the-line glossy MGM musicals that would come out later in the decade. But it was a hit, and I can say that because I remember my mom talking about it years later, and saying how wonderful it was.”

Stormy Weather (coming in June)

• Directed by Andrew L. Stone, 1943

"During World War II, major studios started including a few more Black actors in larger roles in a modest number of releases. This was partly because many studios’ regular contract performers were either enlisted in or fundraising for the military, but also because studio heads like Darryl F. Zanuck and Louis B. Mayer became aware of the studios' importance as propaganda factories — committed to sending audiences here and abroad a message of this is the country that isn’t fascist, where everyone has an equal chance.’ This, of course, even though the U.S. military itself wasn’t legally desegregated until well after the war.

"The studios realized they were able to get major talent who had not been in movies — except maybe in tiny roles — and make happy musicals that had great dance numbers and a moral message. But the important thing isn’t just that Stormy Weather gives actors like Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Bill Robinson, and the Nicholas Brothers roles, it’s that the film was shown in nonsegregated theaters. For the first time, white audiences were seeing Louis Armstrong in a semi-dramatic role. They’re seeing Lena Horne sing the title song Stormy Weather and the Nicholas Brothers doing what is maybe the greatest dance scene ever put on film — which, by the way, was done in one take.” 

This Black History Month, the DIA offers many ways to honor Black history and celebrate Black artists. In addition to the events below, join us for the exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971 and the companion film series.

All events are offered free of charge with museum admission.

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

Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 – 1971 honors the legacy of African American filmmakers and actors from the dawn of cinema, through the golden age, and into the aftermath of the Civil Rights movement. Inspired by and named after an independent 1923 all-Black-cast movie, Regeneration seeks to revive lost or forgotten films, filmmakers, and performers for a contemporary audience.

Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 – 1971 is organized by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 

Throughout the run of the show, the Detroit Film Theatre will be featuring a companion series of films from the era screened in our historic theatre. Admission is free for all.

*With an accompanying music performance before or during the show.

DFT fans receive a printed version of the program each season in their mailbox. Didn't get one? Download the Winter brochure featuring the rest of the Regeneration lineup here.

To accommodate visitor demand, hours for Van Gogh in America will be extended through the run of the exhibition, ending January 22, 2023.

Tues, Jan 3 & Wed, Jan 4

• 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Thurs, Jan 5

• 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sat, Jan 7 & Sun, Jan 8

• 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Thurs, Jan 12

• 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sat, Jan 14 & Sun, Jan 15

• 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Mon, Jan 16

• 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closing Week

Tues, Jan 17 & Wed, Jan 18

• 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Thur, Jan 19

• 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Fri, Jan 20

• 9 a.m.–10 p.m.

Sat, Jan 21 & Sun, Jan 22

• 10 a.m.–10 p.m.