Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection. No experience is necessary. All supplies provided.

For ages 6 - Adult (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult). Capacity is limited.

Simon Shaheen, a Palestinian born in 1955, dazzles listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arab sounds to jazz and Western classical styles. His soaring technique, melodic ingenuity, and unparalleled grace have earned him international acclaim as a virtuoso on the oud and violin. Shaheen is one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation. His work incorporates and reflects a legacy of Arab music, while it forges ahead to new frontiers, bracing many different styles in the process.

This unique contribution to the world of arts was recognized in 1994 when Shaheen was honored with the prestigious National Heritage Award at the White House.  In 2022, he was honored with the Globalfest Artist Award, which acknowledges the impact Shaheen has had at home and abroad. 

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.

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.

Calvin Cooke was born into a musical family that belonged to the Church of the Living God, Jewell Dominion, an African American Holiness-Pentecostal church in which the electric steel guitar has been an important part of worship services since the late 1930's.  Nashville country steel guitarists have dubbed Cooke, the "B.B. King of gospel steel guitar." 

Cooke’s music is characterized by slow tempos and boogie rhythms.   He is one of the few "sacred steel" guitarists who regularly combines singing with his guitar work.   Cooke is accompanied by a group of veteran church musicians from Detroit.  His wife Grace on vocals, guitarist Jay Caver, bass guitarist Eddie Harmon, and drummer Ivan Shaw.

Sunday's event will take place outside on the DIA Lawn.

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.

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.

Join DIA's off site Drop In Workshop activity at the Art in the Sun and create a Bug Puppet. Use foamcore, toothpicks, pipe cleaners and beads to make a fantastic bug puppet on a stick.

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection. No experience is necessary. All supplies provided. For ages 6 - Adult (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult). Capacity is limited.

Join the DIA off-site Drop-In Workshop activity and create a Celebration Mask. Have fun creating a colorful and expressive mask using feathers, ribbon, glitter and more.

Snap a picture with an instant film camera then use a variety of art-making materials, including beads, markers and colorful wire, to decorate a 5-by-7 inch frame made from corrugated cardboard.

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection. No experience is necessary. All supplies provided.

For ages 6 - Adult (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult). Capacity is limited.

10:30–11:30 a.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: Partnership Demonstration with Detroit Cristo Rey HS

The Corning Museum of Glass Hot Shop Demonstrators will perform a demonstration for special guests Detroit Cristo Rey High School Students. This interactive demo will result in a Mr. Potato Head style “bubble” character with features chosen improvisational by the students in the audience. 
 

12:30–2 p.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: Charlyn Reynolds: Abnormalities & Absurdities (Demonstration)

Charlyn Reynolds will create signature hybrid sculptures. Stemming from the absurdity of Reynolds’ childhood, these fantastical creatures are a seamless blend of two completely different animals. This piece will focus on blown and solid sculpting, hot-assembly, and teamwork. In addition to narrating, Reynolds will share some personal history for the inspirations behind the creatures. Reynolds will also explain how the final artworks are just a part of the artist’s larger artistic universe.
 

3–4:30 p.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: Marc Barreda & Kitty Lameris: Breaking the Ice (Demonstration)

In the 16th and 17th centuries, an exodus of Venetian glassmaking techniques gave rise to novel forms and new approaches to the genre of drinking glasses. This style has become known as á la Façon de Venise and is characterized in some cases by eccentric deviations from the refined Venetian grace.  Amongst a myriad of innovations emerged a group of glasses known as fopglazen, schertsglazen, verre á surprise or trick glasses.

Though extremely rare these glasses, in one form or another, are represented in every major collection around the world and until now remained surprisingly enigmatic. Together Kitty Lameris and Marc Barreda have opened Pandora's Box and begun to scratch the surface of a complex and pervasive history of objects. Through a novel approach to the traditional demo they will guide you into the history and making of a variety of glasses that have a surprising capacity to break the ice.
 

3–3:30 p.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: Infinity Vessel

In this short horror movie, the myth of Pandora is reflected via blown glass. The film explores how craftmanship is a vital part of humanity, paradoxically broken and whole at the same time. The mythological and symbolical levels of the Vessel are an important part of this poetic yet eerie narrative.

This program is presented in partnership with the Glass Art Society and the Detroit Institute of Arts

10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Sally Prasch: Flame to Furnace to Lathe (Demonstration)

George Kennard and Sally Prasch have been teaching together and collaborating for many years and when available they use a glass blowing lathe in the studio. In the 1970’s Prasch started bringing scientific glassblowing and lampworking techniques into the hot glass studio, but it was not embraced at that time. Glassblowing lathes are becoming more accepted and used in the glass art world and will become a common trend. Kennard and Prasch will demonstrate how they have used the lathe for teaching and their work. Mark Vanderburg will be helping Sally with this Lecmo. Delicate soft glass items will be pre-made over the torch to be incorporated into the final piece. You won’t want to miss this demonstration.

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: The Flame: The Art and History of Flameworking (Film)

The documentary film “The Flame: The Art and History of Flameworking” tells the story of a journey undertaken to discover the origins of glass lampworking, a technique which is still not well known but it is used by thousands of people around the world: the lampworkers.

Glass lampworking is less known than furnace glass working, which does not involve a team but only a person who works to realize unique objects by only using the flame and glass sticks. Just one person in front of a desk can realize with glass the ideas they have in mind. This idea of intimacy will be constant during the documentary, backlighting photography and low-key images, that will bring the spectator into the working flame. Eric Goldschmidt, lampworker for Corning Museum of Glass, will guide us through this journey.

12:30–2 p.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: Steven Hagan: All Juice, No Seeds (Demonstration)

Citrus fruits are vibrant, colorful, delicious and they currently dominate the body of work that Steven Hagan produces. Hagan will assemble a version of a larger-than-life citrus sculpture. 

1–2:30 p.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: The Flame: The Art and History of Flameworking (Film)

The documentary film “The Flame: The Art and History of Flameworking” tells the story of a journey undertaken to discover the origins of glass lampworking, a technique which is still not well known but it is used by thousands of people around the world: the lampworkers.

Glass lampworking is less known than furnace glass working, which does not involve a team but only a person who works to realize unique objects by only using the flame and glass sticks. Just one person in front of a desk can realize with glass the ideas they have in mind. This idea of intimacy will be constant during the documentary, backlighting photography and low-key images, that will bring the spectator into the working flame. Eric Goldschmidt, lampworker for Corning Museum of Glass, will guide us through this journey.

3:30–5 p.m. Glass Art Society Conference 2023: Christopher Day Politely Shouts (Demonstration)

The early work that Christopher Day produced was a way of creating a conversation which, at the time, was like walking through a desert looking for water. Since George Floyd and Black Lives Matter it's been hard for Day to find dry land, and this has pushed the reigniting of even more conversations regarding slavery and its brutal past. Day’s work has copper and rope and anything that complements the message of the subject and through this process Day has created a trademark or signature to the work. Day will speak regarding the racial tension that the United States and the UK both have in common throughout history and give an insight of how this has affected the artist personally. Glass has given Day an outlet to express emotions and the hope is that the visibility might inspire someone else to be brave enough to tackle their demons.

7–8:30 p.m. Art That Gives Back: The Michigan Glass Project Documentary | 90 Minutes 

Art that Gives Back tells the inspiring story of a dedicated community of artists who dig deep to give back to their struggling city. As budget cuts decimated essential arts programming in public schools, The Michigan Glass Project, led by a tight-knit crew of glass pipe makers, knew they had to do something to bring art classes back to the children of Detroit. Since 2012, they have hosted an annual multimedia festival in the Russell Industrial Center, bringing flame workers, visual artists, painters, musicians, and thousands of glass enthusiasts together to fund Art Road Detroit, a nonprofit that brings art classes directly back into schools.

To date, The Michigan Glass Project has raised over $500,000, and has assisted in reinstating art curricula for more than 2,200 children throughout the city. This retrospective documentary from award-winning Director Daniel R. Collins (Daniel R. Collins - IMDb) details over ten years of the extraordinary efforts put forth by the Michigan Glass Project. It challenges stereotypes about the cannabis community, illuminates the power of community to create change, and above all celebrates the future of Detroit, embodied by its emerging generations of creative young students.
 

This program is presented in partnership with the Glass Art Society and the Detroit Institute of Arts.