Celebrate the voices and stories of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities at the DIA throughout May in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! The DIA partners with AAPI community groups and professional artists to showcase a blend of traditional and contemporary dance, musical performances, art, and more. This year’s celebration and performances include Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cultures.

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

All programs are onsite and are free with general museum admission unless otherwise noted ($). Capacity for programs in Rivera Court and Marvin & Betty Danto Lecture Hall is limited. Seating begins 30 minutes before performance start.

Thursday, May 2

• 6 p.m. Alan Chin – Home and Away: A Photographer's Journey Through Conflict and Culture in the *Marvin & Betty Danto Lecture Hall

Friday, May 3

• 8 p.m. Drop-in Workshop: Uchiwa paper fans in the Artmaking studio
• 6 – 8:30 p.m. Drawing in the Galleries: Japanese & Korean and Indian & Southeast Asian Art Galleries

Saturday, May 4

• Noon – 4 p.m. Drop-in Workshop: Uchiwa paper fans in the Artmaking studio
• 2 p.m. Music and Dance Performance: Asian American Pacific Islander Celebration Show in *Rivera Court

Sunday, May 5

• 6 – 8 p.m. Drop-in Workshop: Uchiwa paper fans in the Artmaking studio

Friday, May 10

• 7 p.m. Friday Night Live! Music Performance: Aki Takahashi in Danto Lecture Hall

Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19

• Noon – 4 p.m. Guest Artist Drop-in Workshop: Separate and Together with Mike Han in Artmaking Studio

Friday, May 24 

• 7 p.m. Friday Night Live! Music Performance: Gao Hong & Issam Rafea in *Rivera Court 
• 7 p.m. Film: Evil Does Not Exist at the Detroit Film Theatre ($)

Saturday, May 25

• 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Film: Evil Does Not Exist at the Detroit Film Theatre ($)

Sunday, May 26

• 2 p.m. Film: Evil Does Not Exist at the Detroit Film Theatre ($)

Friday, May 31 

• 7 p.m. Friday Night Live! Music and Dance Performance: Vietnamese Cultural Journey in *Rivera Court

In celebration of Arab American Heritage Month, the Detroit Institute of Arts in partnership with National Arab Orchestra music director Michael Ibrahim will present three concerts celebrating Arab music and poetry, both classical and contemporary. Performances will be presented in the relaxing setting of the DIA’s Kresge Court throughout April.

The NAO Takht Ensemble was founded by Michael Ibrahim in 2010 as the premiere traditional ensemble performing classical repertoire. The ensemble is comprised of instruments such as the oud (Arab lute), the qanun (Arab zither), the nay (Arab reed flute), violin, riqq (Arab tambourine), table (Arab goblet drum), and bass.

The National Arab Orchestra Takht Ensemble performs classical and contemporary Arab music otherwise known as tarab music.
 

Phyllis Chen presents a new program for piano, toy pianos, and projections. Opening the program is Tone Grove, a piece for manipulated music boxes. The main piece is based on an original scroll painting by Newbery- and Caldecott-award winning artist and author Grace Lin. The piece explores the four major Chinese constellations. 

Introspective, multi-layered and quietly majestic, composer Jane Antonia Cornish’s Sierra is a vivid meditation on how our deep connection to nature can move us to an inner stillness and awaken the creative impulse. Sierra consists of five separate pieces composed for multiple pianos, ranging from the poignant solo excursion Last Light to the cascading, undulating ‘Ocean’ and the epic 15-minute title piece.

Pianist Vicky Chow, whose ability to flex in different interpretive directions, depending on the composer’s intention, is renowned in the modern classical community. Sierra captures a palette of subtle but insistent emotions — wonder, wistfulness, joy and awe — that can elevate and transport with astonishing power.

French double bass player and composer Florent Ghys performs his new double album "Ritournelles & Mosaïques" in a solo for double bass, electronics, and video.

Florent’s album has been described by French journalist Melanie Bauer (France Inter) as “a massage for the brain” and Alex Ross (The New Yorker) said that his videos “have rightfully attained viral fame.” 

Returning after a two-year pause, the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit, Japan Business Society of Detroit, and Japan Cultural Development invite you to celebrate Hinamatsuri, Japanese Girls Day, at the DIA on Sunday, March 5!

Visitor favorites like the tea ceremony, hina doll display, ikebana arrangements, and koto (Japanese zither) performance return along with storytelling and origami workshops.

This year, the work of four Michigan based female Japanese artists - calligrapher Kyoko Fujii, Mokuhanga paper artist Nobuko Yamasaki, mixed-media artist Hiroko Lancour and illustrator Mino Watanabe - will be featured. Visitors will also have the opportunity to try tea and participate in hands-on workshops. See schedule below.

Performances & Live Demonstrations 

• 10:15am Opening Ceremony & Welcoming Remarks  | Great Hall   
• 12:45pm & 2:45pm Music performance by Ensemble Hanabi | Great Hall 
• 11:00am & 1:00pm Sa-do, Japanese Tea Ceremony Performance and Tea Serving* by Masters of Omote-Senke and Ura-Senke | Crystal Gallery  
• 11:00am, 12:15pm, 2:15pm, and 3:15pm Nihon Mukashi Banashi (Storytelling) Performance by Ms. Shannon O’Leary | Great Hall
• 11:45am & 1:45pm Shodo, Japanese Calligraphy Performance by Ms. Kyoko Fuji | Great Hall 
• 12:15pm & 2:15pm Koto Music Performance by MIYABI | Kresge Court 

Limited Workshops (pre-registration online or on-site day of) 

• 11:00am & 2:00pm Ikebana (Flower Arrangement) Workshop by Ikebana International | Student Lunchroom register on-site only 
• 12:30pm & 3:30pm Japanese Sweets Workshop by Toyota | Student Lunchroom register on-site only 
• 12:00pm & 2:00pm Washi Making Workshop by Michigan Japanese Heritage Center | Studio register online here 

All day fun in the Great Hall and Rivera Court

• Artist Display & Demonstrations by Ms. Kyoko Fuji, Japanese Calligrapher, MS. Hiroko Lancour, Mixed-media artist; Ms. Mino Watanabe, Artist/Illustrator; Ms. Noboku Yamazaki, Mokuhanga artist
• Tea Please! Tea Tasting
• Garapon By Aisin 
• Origami Workshop
• Hina Doll Display 
• Mikoshi Display 
• Kimono Display 
• Flowers Display
• Children Play Tools Display 

Presented in partnership with the General Consul of Japan in Detroit, Japanese Business Society of Detroit and the DIA’s auxiliary Friends of Asian Arts and Culture. 

A contemporary fairy tale that magically transports the audience through space and time, Unfolding captures the journey of a woman as she navigates a life of self-discovery.  

Weaving together nostalgic youth and covetable wisdom to explore themes of female empowerment, this puppet theatre production, conceived and directed by Margarita Blush, uses moving performance and puppetry, shadow imagery, unique design, exquisitely hand-crafted puppets, and poignant original music.

For families with children 6 and up.

Let the Good Times Roll illuminates the joys and complexity of growing up. Underscored by the music of Rock & Roll pioneers and torchbearers from Little Richard to Gary Clark Jr., Let the Good Times Roll is a musical revue that reminds us of the beauty of the present and the promise of the future.

For more information about reserving a ticket for Mosaic in Concert visit their website here

Black History Month programs are generously supported by the Arn and Nancy Tellem Foundation.

Join travelin' John Paul George (puppeteer Mike Horner) and his singing dog Ringo on an interactive, musical road trip. Audiences are encouraged to sing, clap, and stomp along as the duo performs such favorites as “B-I-N-G-O,” “Wheels on the Bus,” and “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” They’re joined by a … dancing chicken! For all ages. 

Presented with ASL interpretation. 

Kenneth Thompkins is the Principal Trombonist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

This Structurally Sound concert is a co-production between the DIA and Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings and features Ken Thompkins in combination with music, art and poetry.

The concert will feature new compositions by Jeff Scott and Maurice Draughn and poetry by Kalimah Johnson. This will be an immersive experience not to be missed.

Black History Month programs are generously supported by the Arn and Nancy Tellem Foundation.