The New York International Children’s Film Festival’s collection of Spanish-language shorts spans genres, styles, and geographic regions. A rich slice of Hispanic and Latinx storytelling that is perfect for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. 

The program is full of fun and compelling short films, including Dulce, an exploration of the loving relationship between a mother and a daughter, and Audience Award-Winner Karol, The Vampire Queen.

For ages 8 and up. (60min.) This program is free with museum admission. Capacity is limited – seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance start.

Celebrate the rich tapestry of Vietnamese heritage in a dynamic live performance intertwining traditional music, captivating dance, and history. Presented by the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan, this cultural journey promises to ignite your senses and leave you with a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, Vietnam's vibrant heritage. 

Immerse yourself in a dazzling fashion show where traditional attire celebrates past eras. Feel the rhythm of vibrant dances that celebrate diverse cultures, and indulge your tastebuds with an array of delectable dishes, each carrying a story of its own. 

From the most traditional Ancestors Ceremony to cultural dance and music, the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan shares the story of the Vietnamese War and pays tribute to the Vietnamese veterans who fought alongside the U.S. during World War II. 

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month programs are developed in partnership with the DIA’s auxiliary group Friends of Asian Arts & Cultures. 

In Rivera Court. Capacity is limited. Seating begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Detroit-based textile artist Najma Ma’at Wilson will demonstrate how to make stitched collages. Participants will use basic stitching techniques with needles, thread, and a variety of interesting fabrics. Materials are provided.

Ma’at’s love of fiber arts was inspired by her mother. She has a degree in fiber design from the Center for Creative Studies, and a master’s degree in education from Boston College. She taught for 20 years in locations as close as Cass Technical High School and as far as Cotonou Benin, West Africa.

After retiring, Ma’at and a lifetime friend co-owned Detroit Fiber Works for 8 years, selling and showing works of local Detroit artists and providing a space for community conversations until 2020. She is returning to creating her own work from her home studio.

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

Use fabric, paper, and other materials to create your own collage self-portrait influenced by artists in the DIA collection including Benny Andrews, Betye Saar, and Mickalene Thomas. All supplies provided. Free with admission.

(USA/1937—directed by Sam Newfield) 

In this long-unavailable film, singer Herb Jeffries makes his cinematic debut as a strapping young cowpoke who comes to the rescue of a traveling medicine show battling outlaws for buried treasure.

Filmed at a Black-owned ranch in California’s Apple Valley, the film also includes Spencer Williams (director of The Blood of Jesus) and doo-wop quartet the Four Tones.

Newly restored, Harlem on the Prairie is packed with priceless music, thrills, romance, and the comedy of renowned actors Mantan Moreland and Flournoy E. Miller. (57 min.) 

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.   

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.
 

Celebrating Black Stories spotlights Black narratives that transcend national boundaries, culture, and language with films in English, French, Shona, and even ASL! Join a young astronomer during a lunar eclipse, a meaningful first visit to a barbershop, and witness the magic of a neighborhood castle all in one sitting with this immersive collection of films highlighting Black storytelling.  

These audience favorites and award-winning films, from the latest edition of New York International Children’s Film Festival, are sure to inspire curiosity and conversation for viewers big and small. In English or with English subtitles. (63 min.) 

Powerful films for ages 8 and up, in the DIA’s Lecture Hall.

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.  

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.