Eljuri is an award-winning Ecuadorian singer-songwriter and guitarist whose music reflects the spirit of this generation. Her sound is a global fusion that blends her Spanish and Lebanese heritage, the uplifting rhythms of her homeland Ecuador, and the reggae, punk, and rock & roll influences from her hometown, New York City, creating a truly unique musical experience.

Concert of Colors takes place at multiple locations across Detroit.

For more information on the full event and to view the full schedule, visit www.concertofcolors.com

One of the festival’s most anticipated annual performances, multiple Grammy winner, Blue Note Records President, producer, musician, and Detroit-raised superstar Don Was curates a special show just for Concert of Colors audiences. 

He brings some of the city’s best musicians to perform the blues, including Thornetta Davis, Chris Canas, Herschel Boone, Tosha Owens, Laith Al-Saadi, Rev. Robert Jones, Steffanie Christi’an, and Mitch Ryder.

Concert of Colors takes place at multiple locations across Detroit.

For more information on the full event and to view the full schedule, visit www.concertofcolors.com

Asha Puthli is an Indian-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress, born and raised in Mumbai. She is known for her sensuous, spacey jazz-disco fusions, blending blues, pop, funk, and rock. A wonderful must-see, Asha Puthli will be performing on the North Lawn stage.

Concert of Colors takes place at multiple locations across Detroit.

For more information on the full event and to view the full schedule, visit www.concertofcolors.com

Find inspiration in the galleries, then create your own sculpture using colorful wire. Make a portrait, an animal, or a unique creation of your own to hang on the wall or display in a window. You can even create something to wear!

We're sorry, this workshop with Ellen Rutt will be rescheduled at a later date this fall.

Made from a repurposed painting rack, Library For Now is a mobile art and climate exploration station in Detroit—a space to learn, share, sit, draw, talk about your favorite animal, grieve, rest, hope, and envision a regenerative future together. With books, art supplies, and activity prompts, participants are invited to engage in a medium of their choosing, whether for a moment or an entire afternoon. Library For Now will be stationed outside the DIA on the North lawn.

Ellen Rutt is a painter, quilter, and interdisciplinary artist living and working in Detroit. Through her work as an artist and facilitator, she creates objects and experiences that highlight abundant local knowledge and resources.

An immersive multimedia experience, this is the newest program from NIYAZ — a Persian, Turkish, and Indian electroacoustic musical tour de force. Prepare to be mesmerized.

Concert of Colors takes place at multiple locations across Detroit.

For more information on the full event and to view the full schedule, visit www.concertofcolors.com

The DIA’s Sensory-Friendly Saturdays offer a welcoming, inclusive art-making experience for neurodivergent children, teens, adults, and their families and friends. Each session features a thoughtfully designed project in a comfortable, supportive environment.

Join us from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the DIA Artmaking Studio. Registration is required, and all materials are provided. Open to all ages; children under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian.

This session’s project: Drawing with Scissors

Using just paper and a pair of scissors, create your own experimental collage focused on layering shapes and combining vivid colors, inspired by Henri Matisse’s Jazz series. Adaptable scissors and pre-cut shapes will be available for those who may need them.

Kid Flicks: Pride is a celebration of self-expression, community, legacy, and love. Curated specifically for ages 9 and up by the New York International Children’s Film Festival, these shorts from around the world showcase a wide range of LGBTQ+ identities and experiences in equally diverse styles. From schoolyard matchmakers to a Belgian teen and a group of Indigenous Hawaiian māhū, these stories highlight the power of embracing who you are. Presented in English or with English subtitles. (65 min.)

This program is free with museum admission.

Weekend Family Programs at the DIA are generously presented by the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation.

Please join us for this two-day introduction to Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)! VTS is an inquiry-based teaching method that enhances students’ abilities to describe, analyze, and interpret content through the observation and discussion of visual art. During this workshop, participants will learn how to facilitate a VTS conversation, explore the impact of VTS on student writing, and receive coaching from DIA educators.

All educators are welcome. 5.5 free State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) are pending approval.

Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art Annual Meeting, Artist Conversation, and Reception

Presented by the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art and Michigan Central Art

Schedule

5:30–6 p.m. | FMCA Annual Meeting, Marvin and Betty Danto Lecture Hall

• For FMCA members only; advance registration required.

6–7:30 p.m. | Artist Conversation: Ash Arder & Kevin Beasley, Marvin and Betty Danto Lecture Hall

• Free and open to the public; no registration required.
• Join contemporary artists Ash Arder and Kevin Beasley for presentations on their work, followed by a conversation moderated by Kelly Kivland, Director and Lead Curator at Michigan Central, and Katie Pfohl, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the DIA.

7:30–9 p.m. | FMCA Member Reception, Rivera Court

• For FMCA members only; advance registration required.

Artist Bios

Ash Arder (she/they) is a Detroit-based artist whose work explores ecology, industry, and labor through installations, sound, and material experimentation. Their recent solo exhibition Flesh Tones was presented at Cranbrook Art Museum in 2023.

Kevin Beasley (he/him) is a New York-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, sound, photography, and performance. His recent installation PROSCENIUM | Rebirth / Growth: The Watch / Harvest / Dormancy: On Reflection is on view at Storm King Art Center until November 2025.