Bring your funny bone and thinking cap as Master Storyteller Ivory D. Williams shares his trademark wit, wisdom, and humor in a fun, interactive celebration of Juneteenth.

This program is free with museum admission.

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

Featuring puppets, games, special guests, stories, drawings, music, and dance parties, The Rainbow Beard Show celebrates curiosity, play, and shared human experiences. Join host Ricky Rainbow Beard and their friends as they explore the fun of dressing up! What does it mean to dress up? When do you do it? Why?

This participatory live theater performance is inspired by classic children’s programming like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street, and is designed for kids ages 4–8 (and their grownups).

For families of all ages.

Pride Themed docent-led guided gallery tours will be offered one hour prior to event start time, meeting at the DIA Woodward lobby entrance. The tours will be approximately 45-minutes in length.

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

Karim Nagi has performed Arabiqa in over 500 schools, libraries, and museums across the U.S. Through a joyfully interactive performance, he shares traditional instruments, dances, geography, and vocabulary from around the Arab world. A native of Egypt now living in Chicago, Nagi has recorded 17 albums, performed on six continents, produced a play, published a book, and given a TEDx Talk. His goal is to showcase the creativity of the Arab world and dispel negative stereotypes. (60 mins.)

This program is free with museum admission. Capacity is limited—seating begins 30 minutes before the performance. In the DIA’s Lecture Hall.

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

Join DJ Problematic Black Hottie from 6:30PM-8:30PM for dancing in Rivera Court and a cash bar in Great Hall as part of our DJ series for Tiff Massey's exhibition 7 Mile + Livernois.

7 Mile + Livernois is Tiff Massey’s gallery installation, featuring sculptures commissioned by the DIA in conversation with works by other artists from the museum’s collection. Massey’s work reimagines art’s role in the community, offering a vibrant, inclusive view of Detroit. Her art invites us to celebrate collective identity, ancestral flyness, and beauty.

Problematic Black Hottie is a DJ, taste maker, personality and an advocate for centering femininity and blackness. Based in Detroit, Michigan and raised all over the African Diaspora, she combines eclectic global and local influences with a focus on feminine music too curate a contagious vibe and introduce her crowd to a platter of delectable sounds. For PBH, her outstanding selecting skills and ability to curate a feminine-centered vibe make her unique. With a consistent trademark sound, look, and style, Problematic Black Hottie has become a Detroit staple and household name.

DJ Problematic Black Hottie’s set will not be a seated performance.

Founded in 2016 in Lviv amid the challenges of the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, Yagody is a Ukrainian group dedicated to performing both traditional and contemporary folk music from the East. Their debut album, released in 2020, features the song Kalyna-Malyna with an accompanying music video. 

The ensemble is composed of three vocalists, an accordionist, a bass guitarist, a drummer, and a cymbalist, blending rich folk traditions with modern sounds. Their performances bring to life the cultural heritage and resilience of Ukraine through music.

Lou Harrison: A Celebration highlights the pioneering composer’s groundbreaking contributions to 20th-century music. Known for his exploration of alternative tunings, world music influences, and innovative instruments, Harrison's work comes to life in this performance. 

Solo piano pieces will be performed by Sara Cahill, followed by chamber music in various configurations, featuring Cahill alongside musicians from the University of Michigan. This performance offers a unique opportunity to experience the eclectic and forward-thinking sounds of one of America’s most influential composers.

Cactus Concert is a tribute to John Cage and Detroit's avant-garde scene, presented by the Detroit Bureau of Sound, with special guests Sophiyah E. and Dominant Hand. The performance features Cage’s Child of Tree, which premiered in Detroit in 1975. 

In this innovative piece, an amplified cactus becomes the instrument, with contact microphones capturing the subtle vibrations produced by the plant and the performer. The result is a unique soundscape filled with rustling, creaking, and delicate spring-like noises, blurring the lines between natural sounds and music. 

True to Cage’s philosophy of indeterminacy, Child of Tree allows chance to shape the performance, creating a constantly evolving experience for the audience.

Featured Performances:

• Sorhogton | Performed by The Throat Singer
• Binakbak Na Diwa (Strip my Soul) | Performed by Martha Bryan and Caitlyn Giles
• Heart Lantern – Yunnan Flower Lantern | Performed by J. Z. Dance Studio, Choreographed by Joanne Zheng
• Loi ve xom nho (To the Countryside) | Performed by Vietnamese American Association of Michigan-Dance Team, Choreographed by Trisha Tuyet Nguyen
• Dunhuang Fairies | Performed by J.Z. Dance Studio, Choreographed by Joanne Zheng
• Peacocks |Performed by Inner Action Dance, Choreographed by Sharon Kang
• Hmong Dance | Performed by Hnub Qub Cia Siab (Star of Hope), Choreographed by Cynthia Ly and Stephanie Yang
• Bhangra Dance Performance | Performed by RVD Academy, Choreographed by Monick Mehta
• Taiko Journey from Japan to the Great Lakes | Performed by Great Lakes Taiko Center (GLTC) Taiko Arts Collective
• Lion Dance | Performed by Linh Son Buddhist Youth Group

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

Hobey Ford's Animalia takes audiences on a journey through the magical world of animals, featuring his unique "foamies" – intricately carved puppets that come to life with realistic movements thanks to their innovative mechanical design. Breaking away from traditional puppet theater, Hobey transforms the entire theater into his performance stage. 

Animalia introduces the audience to the wonders of metamorphosis, including the transformation of a butterfly and a tadpole, as well as exploring various ecological systems and endangered animals.

For families with children of all ages. Seating is limited – please arrive early as seating begins 30 minutes prior to the performance.

Join us in the DIA’s Lecture Hall for this captivating and educational experience!

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

Join us for the closing event for Tiff Massey’s celebrated exhibition, 7 Mile + Livernois, on May 9, 2025 from 6:30–9:30 p.m.! 

Get a last look at Massey’s exhibition before it closes to the public on May 11, 2025, and dance under the stars on the Woodward Avenue Plaza during special performances from Detroit-based DJs KESSWA and Donavan Glover.

Cash bar available.

DJ sets will not be seated.

Schedule

Exhibition open all day, starting at 10:00 a.m. Last entry at 9:00 p.m.

DJ experience: 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Last entry at 9:00 p.m. Approx. Set times:

• Donavan Glover: 6:30 - 8 p.m.
• DJ KESSWA: 8 - 9:30 p.m. 

Advanced registration is now CLOSED.   Only guests who are pre-registered may enter the outside DJ performance area from Woodward Avenue.  Guests needing to check-in without registration, including DIA members and residents of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, must do so at the Farnsworth or John R entrances and enter the DJ performance area from inside the museum through the Woodward Avenue door.  

Admittance to DJ area, exhibition, and dining venues will be subject to capacity limits.  

Click here for information on dining, parking, and museum admission.

Additional self-parking is located at WSU Rackham Structure (45 E. Warren), and WSU Welcome Center (61 Putman).  Debit and Credit cards accepted, no cash. For information on parking fees at Wayne State University visit their website.

About the performers

Detroit native Kesiena Wanogho didn’t really get to hear the music she wanted on the local scene, and her longing for a calming and grounding element within electronic music soon turned into her mission. DJ Kesswa now blends jazz and electronica, soul and ambient music with the rhythms and structures of traditional Nigerian music to create a common feeling: a meditation and affirmative attitude towards the world. In 2020, Kesswa was granted a tandem residency in Berlin and Detroit, during which she collaborated with DJ, radio host, and curator Tereza. 

Born in Detroit’s lower-eastside, and raised downtown in King Homes, Donavan Glover discovered the knack for the arts at a young age. He began making a name for himself in the photography and documentary spaces as early as 2010, with high profile directing and videography credits for acts such as Talib Kweli, Slum Village, Amp Fiddler, Dej Loaf, Royce Da 5’9, Dave Chappelle, jessica Care Moore, Travis Scott, Saul Williams, Vic Mensa, and countless Detroit acts. Glover’s work led him to win multiple awards and fellowships, before embarking on his next artist journey as a music producer and DJ in 2018.