Dance and hip-hop are the focus of Detroit Institute of Arts activities this August, centering around the exhibition “D-Cyphered: Portraits by Jenny Risher,” which opens Aug. 4. A variety of Detroit City Dance Festival events will take place at the DIA Aug. 18 through Aug. 20.
Programs are free with museum admission and free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties unless otherwise noted. For more information, call (313) 833-7900 or visit www.dia.org.
Exhibitions:
“Art of Rebellion: Black Art of the Civil Rights Movement” on view through October 22.
“D-Cyphered: Portraits by Jenny Risher” on view August 4 through January 28, 2018.
General Guided Tours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 1 p.m.; Fridays, 1 & 6 p.m.
Enjoy a guided tour of select galleries for an overview of the collection.
General and Family Guided Tours: Saturdays & Sundays, 1 & 3 p.m.
Enjoy a guided tour of select galleries or enjoy family and kid-friendly tours.
Detroit City Chess Club: Fridays, 4–8 p.m.
The club’s mission is to teach area students the game and life lessons. Members have won state, regional and national competitions. People wanting to learn to play chess should show up between 4 and 6 p.m. There will be no teaching between 6 and 8 p.m., but visitors can play chess.
Drawing in the Galleries (for all ages): Fridays, 6–9 p.m.; Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.
Drop-In Workshops (for all ages) Tuesday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Friday, Noon–9 p.m. |Saturday & Sunday, Noon–4
Community Garden Design: Tuesday, August 1–Sunday, August 6
Help design an outdoor flower garden that will be planted on the museum’s lawn.
Paper Flower Garden Wall: Tuesday, August 8–Sunday, August 13
Create a flower (or a bouquet) from colorful tissue paper and add it to a growing collaborative flower garden in the DIA’s Learning Center.
Hip-Hop Art: Album Covers: Tuesday, August 15–Sunday, August 20
If you were a musician, what would your album art look like? Using a variety of art-making materials, bring your vision of a recording artist to life.
Bookmarks & Little Libraries: Tuesday–Sunday, August 22–27
Help decorate a “Little Library,” a small, wooden box for local communities to use and enjoy as a lending library. This project is a partnership between the DIA and Detroit Little Libraries.
Picture Frames with Polaroids: Tuesday, August 29–Thursday, August 31
Have a studio assistant take a Polaroid picture of you that is suitable for framing. Use a variety of art-making materials, including beads, markers and colorful wire, to decorate your frame.
Wednesday, August 2
Detroit Film Theatre: Media City Film Festival: Opening Night Detroit: “FluxFilm & Yoko Ono”: 8 p.m.
Celebrate the kick-off of Media City Film Festival’s 22nd edition with a screening of works by legendary peace activist and artist Yoko Ono. The program includes works from the FluxFilm catalogue and Ono’s “Fly” and “Freedom.” Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Thursday, August 3
Thursday at the Museum: Highlights of the Collection: 1 p.m.
This DIA program offers tri-county adults 55 and older the opportunity to visit the museum and enjoy programs planned exclusively for them, at no cost, every Thursday.
Friday, August 4
Friday Night Live: “D-Cyphered: Portraits by Jenny Risher” Exhibition Opening: Cypher Battle: 7 p.m.
In conjunction with the opening of the “D-Cyphered” photography exhibition, the DIA presents a rap battle, also known as a cypher battle, featuring Detroit hip-hop artists, with instrumental accompaniment by the Burnt Sugar Arkestra.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Dolemite”: 10 p.m.
Rudy Ray Moore made his screen debut in the 1975 cult epic “Dolemite” as an unjustly imprisoned pimp who marshals a stable of Kung Fu fighters to extract revenge from the gangsters who set him up. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Saturday, August 5
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Hip-Hop Family Festival: Noon–4 p.m.
Get an up-close look at what it takes to be a graffiti artist and learn new breakdance skills (or show off your well-honed ones) with a live DJ. This event is in conjunction with the exhibition “D-Cyphered: Portraits by Jenny Risher.”
Detroit Film Theatre: “Wild Style”: 9:30 p.m.
“Wild Style” chronicles the South Bronx youth culture of the 1980s before it became globally known and presents members of hip-hop royalty in their original milieu. “Wild Style” is the first celluloid vision connecting graffiti, break dancing, DJ-ing and freestyle MC-ing as cornerstones of the hip-hop nation. With Fab 5 Freddy, Grand Master Flash and the Cold Crush Brothers. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Sunday, August 6
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Hip-Hop Family Festival: Noon–4 p.m.
See Aug. 5 for description.
Thursday, August 10
Thursday at the Museum: Art Talk: “Let Me Tell You a Story…”: 1 p.m.
Creating meaning of the world is a basic behavior, and most cultures throughout time have used art to express essential beliefs and understandings. Explore the many ways visual artists use stories as the source of inspiration for their work.
Friday, August 11
Friday Night Live: TBA: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Enjoy a live musical performance in Rivera Court.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Harold and Lillian”: 7 p.m.
Movie fans may not recognize the names of Harold and Lillian Michelson, but well-known films wouldn’t be the same without them. Storyboard artist Harold and film researcher Lillian left a mark on classics by Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Billy Wilder, Mike Nichols and more. Tickets: $9.50 for general admission and $7.50 for members, seniors and students.
Saturday, August 12
Detroit Institute of Awesome: DFT Animation Club: “My Life as a Zucchini”: 2 p.m.
After his mother’s sudden death, Zucchini is befriended by police officer Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home where he meets other orphans his age. At first he struggles to find his place in this strange new environment, but with Raymond’s help and his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and to love as he searches for a new family of his own. Recommended for ages 12 to adult. Tickets: $5 for general admission, free for DIA members.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Harold and Lillian”: 4 &7 p.m.
See Aug. 11 for description.
Sunday, August 13
Detroit Institute of Awesome: DFT Animation Club: “My Life as a Zucchini”: 2 p.m.
See Aug. 12 for description.
Detroit Film Theatre: “Harold and Lillian”: 4:30 p.m.
See Aug. 11 for description.
Friday, August 18
Detroit Dance City Festival (DDCF): Movers & Shakers Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Enjoy an informational lunch featuring artist talks, panel discussions and guest speakers. The event is free and open to the public, but food and beverages must be purchased.
Detroit Dance City Festival: Summer Stage: 1–4 p.m.
The DDCF Summer Stage features performances by dancers, musicians and performance artists.
Detroit Dance City Festival: Choreographers Showcase: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
More than 30 artists from Detroit, to New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere were chosen by ArtLab J to showcase their work. For more information and ticketing, visit detroitdancecityfestival.com.
Detroit Dance City Festival: Hip-Hop Dance Party: 9–11 p.m.
Enjoy dance, hip-hop, funk and art. Crews and dance groups will perform and there will be opportunities for the public to freestyle on the dance floor.
Saturday, August 19
Detroit Dance City Festival: Movers & Shakers Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
See Aug. 18 for description.
Detroit Dance City Festival: Summer Stage: 1–4 p.m.
See Aug. 18 for description.
Detroit Dance City Festival: Dance Film Fest: 5:30 p.m.
Selected by ArtLab J, this film fest features works by choreographers and filmmakers interested in working at the intersection of film and movement.
Detroit Dance City Festival: Choreographers Showcase: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
See Aug. 18 for description.
Sunday, August 20
Detroit Dance City Festival: Movers & Shakers Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
See Aug. 18 for description.
Detroit Dance City Festival: Summer Stage: 1–4 p.m.
See Aug. 18 for description.
Detroit Dance City Festival Celebration: 6–8 p.m.
A VIP reception and featured performance celebrate the closing of three-days of dance in Detroit. This is a ticketed event. Go to detroitdancecityfestival.com for ticket information.
Saturday, August 26
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Outdoor Puppet Performance: “Riki Tikki Tavi”: 2 p.m.
Rudyard Kipling’s short story brings a mongoose named Riki Tikki Tavi to life as he protects a British family from a venomous cobra in turn-of-the-century India. Bring blankets and chairs to sit on the lawn.
Sunday, August 27
Detroit Institute of Awesome: Puppet Performance: “Riki Tikki Tavi”: 2 p.m.
See Aug. 26 for description.
Museum Hours and Admission (Note: General admission increased as of July 1)
9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. General admission (excludes ticketed exhibitions) is free for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county residents and DIA members. For all others, $14 for adults, $9 for seniors ages 62+, $6 for ages 6–17. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.
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The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera’s world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.
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