This tribute performance honors Detroit jazz legend and drummer Roy Brooks (1938–2004), a key figure in the vibrant Detroit jazz scene. Throughout his career, Brooks performed and recorded with jazz luminaries such as Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef, Max Roach, M’Boom, Charles Mingus, and Woody Shaw. He was known for his innovative use of unusual instruments in his performances, including a musical saw and the "breath-a-tone," a drum with vacuum tubes attached to regulate pitch.

In 1972, he formed the Artistic Truth, which featured artists like Sonny Fortune, Eddie Jefferson, and Hamite Blunt. He also created the Aboriginal Percussion Choir, an ensemble focused on combining non-Western percussion instruments with more conventional ones. This performance will feature the music of Roy Brooks, played by musicians who worked with him, as well as a blend of younger-generation musicians who were influenced by his groundbreaking work.

The Five Tangos, originally conceived as a stage production, was set to debut at the Detroit Institute of Arts Film Theatre in November 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic prompted its transformation into a film, shot at four iconic Detroit locations: the Crystal Gallery at the DIA, the Guardian Building Promenade, Meadowbrook Hall, and the Scarab Club.

Inspired by Astor Piazzolla’s Five Tango Sensations, the project explores emotions like dreaming, loving, anxiety, despair, and fear, paralleling the collective struggles of the pandemic. Public health restrictions, such as mask-wearing and avoiding handholds, shaped the choreography, reflecting the yearning for connection during quarantine.

This screening features a live performance of Piazzolla’s score. The Five Tangos was a semi-finalist at the 2022 Inspired Dance Film Festival in Australia and won Best Experimental Film at the 2022 Dancecentric Film Festival in Florida.

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.

Please join us for an Early Educator Workshop at the Detroit Institute of Arts! During the workshop, participants will engage in play and problem-solving and will be introduced to Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS).

VTS is an educational method that uses art to promote critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills in young learners. The day will also include a facilitated artmaking session in the DIA Artmaking Studio, where participants will engage in activities developed for pre-school and early education audiences.

5 SCECHs pending approval.

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