Detroit – Storytelling, puppet shows and summer camps are some of the activities offered in August. Visitors can also enjoy great live performances of African, classical and jazz music. And don’t miss the final days of the exhibition Through African Eyes: The European in African Art, 1500 to Present, which ends Aug. 8 (this is a ticketed exhibition).
Programs are free with museum admission unless otherwise noted. For more information call (313) 833-7900 or visit www.dia.org.
For Detroit Film Theatre movie listings call (313) 833-4686, or visit www.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp.
Guided Tours: Wednesdays–Thursdays, 1 p.m.; Fridays, 1, 6 & 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays–Sundays, 1 & 3 p.m.
Chess Practice: Detroit City Chess Club: Fridays, 5–9 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 how to play chess should show up between 5–7 p.m. There will be no teaching between 7 and 9 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)
Wednesday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.: Molas
Learn about these intricately sewn multi-layered cloth panels created by the Kuna women of Panama and create a simple version of your own.
Thursday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.: Patterns, Symbols & Designs
Textiles are often decorated with symbols that are culturally, historically or religiously meaningful. Find your own personal meaning as you use stamps and fabric markers to decorate a piece of silk.
Fridays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.: Asafo Flags
Asafo flags are made in Ghana and illustrate a variety of proverbs. Make your own simple version using felt.
Fridays, 6–9 p.m.: Chinese Slat Books
In ancient China, before the invention of paper, documents were made of bamboo or wooden slats. Make your own book using this ancient technique.
Saturdays, Noon–4 p.m.: Rattles
Small containers and boxes morph into fantastic percussion instruments when dried beans, rice, feathers and fun papers are added.
Sundays, Noon–4 p.m.: Watercolor Wax Resists
Your pictures and designs are revealed on paper when you apply watercolor paints to paper where white crayon has been applied.
Family Sunday, August 1
Family Performance: “The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf”: 2 p.m.
Puppeteer Paul Mesner Puppets present The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf. There’s only one individual who knows the true story about one wolf, three houses and three little pigs: Alexander T. Wolf. In this revealing adaptation of the popular book, Mr. A. Wolf tells all about what really happened to those three little houses made of straw, sticks and bricks and the three pigs that lived in them.
Thursday, August 5 Summer Camps (Adults Only)
Coil-built Planters: 9:30 a.m.–noon
Using many coils of clay, create your own design to shape around a form; then choose from an array of colors to create depth through inlays and mixing. Projects will be fired for pickup at a later date. Members: $30; nonmembers $36. Sign up for this and an afternoon session on the same day and get half off the afternoon class: members $45; nonmembers $54. To register, email [email protected] or call 313.833.4249.
Beyond the Pinch Pot: Sculptural Vessels: 1:30–4 p.m.
Explore the interplay of form, surface, and texture as you create a uniquely shaped pot. Decorate with color using underglazes. Pieces will be fired for pick up at a later date. Members: $30; nonmembers $36. Sign up for this and a morning session on the same day and get half off the afternoon class: members $45; nonmembers $54. To register, email [email protected] or call 313.833.4249.
Friday Night Live, August 6
Music: Greensky Bluegrass: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Greensky Bluegrass is one of the most exciting bands in today’s music scene. Like a breath of fresh air, this five- piece band plays traditional bluegrass instruments to create original songs and soundscapes. Winners of the 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass is earning recognition nationwide as a growing force in acoustic roots music.
Family Sunday, August 8
TBD. Please reference www.dia.org for further details.
Friday Night Live, August 13
Music: Gaida: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Singer/songwriter Gaida performs music steeped in the tradition of her Syrian heritage, but also shows the eclectic worldview. Born in Detroit, and currently part of the vibrant New York Arabic music scene, Gaida has found the sweet spot where complex Levantine (non-Muslim populations and cultures of the modern Middle East) rhythms synch up with breezy hints of bossa-nova, pounding belly dance beats, and that certain swing found only in jazz.
Saturday, August 14 Summer Camps (Adults Only)
“Scratching the Surface”: Printmaking: 9:30 a.m.–noon
Take inspiration from the DIA’s print collection to expand on simple alternative printmaking methods and materials, such as block printing, mono-printing and relief printing. Members: $30; nonmembers $36. Sign up for this and an afternoon session on the same day and get half off the afternoon class: members $45; nonmembers $54. To register, email [email protected] or call 313.833.4249.
“Full Pallette”: Painting & Pastel: 1:30–4 p.m.
Develop your sense of color, expressive mark-making and brushwork, as you explore the visual effects of pastels, watercolor and acrylic paints on paper and canvas. Members: $30; nonmembers $36. Sign up for this and an afternoon session on the same day and get half off the afternoon class: members $45; nonmembers $54. To register, email [email protected] or call 313.833.4249.
Family Sunday, August 15
Family Performance: “Musical Folktales”: 2 p.m.
Bob and Audrey Allison perform a unique program titled “Musical Folktales” that combines interactive storytelling, music, audience participation and hands-on fun with musical instruments from many cultures. Audrey uses multiple voices and uncanny vocal effects to enliven each story.
Friday Night Live, August 20
Music: Jay Leonhart: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Jay Leonhart is a brilliant writer of witty songs in the sophisticated New York Cabaret style. He’s a regular on the New York jazz scene and has played with jazz greats Tony Bennet, Thad Jones, and Jim Hall. From early appearances on David Letterman to features at Carnegie Hall, Leonhart has been lighting up audiences with his songs about life in the music world and the people he has come to know. Though known for his humor, Leonhart will also include songs that touch upon more poignant moments in his travels.
Family Sunday, August 22
Artist Demonstration: Andy Malone: Noon–4 p.m.
Andy Malone’s whimsical machines and drawings have been shown in more than 20 exhibitions since 1995, most notably in the Selection show at Detroit Artist Market. Malone also curated the Bravo! Bravo! exhibition at the Detroit Opera House in 2004 and 2005. He will present different games that he has designed as well as allow visitors to play with some of the games.
Friday Night Live, August 27
Music: Hawks & Owls: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Led by award winning fiddler, mandolinist, and flatpicked guitarist Bruce Ling, Hawks and Owls play a mix of acoustic-based Country blues, Bluegrass, early Swing, Appalachian, Irish, and original fiddle tunes and songs. Their performance and understanding of the evolution of traditional music is expressed in their performances, where the audience is treated to colorful facts about the homegrown music of the 18th and 19th centuries in America, and the immigration of music from the British Isles in those periods.
Family Sunday, August 29
Family Performance: “Comedy Cabaret on Strings”: 2 p.m.
Puppeteer Peggy Melchoir presents “Comedy Cabaret on Strings,” a comedic variety show with trick marionettes, hand and rod puppets, a demo of a small marionette and a question and answer session.
Hours and admission
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for ages 62+, and $4 for ages 6-17. DIA members are admitted free. For more information, call (313) 833-7900
Detroit Institute of Arts
5200 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48202
www.dia.org