Detroit Institute of Arts

Where: Detroit, Michigan
When: April 17, 2015
With: Loren and Dave

When Loren came to visit, we had the perfect activity lined up for my artistic partner-in-crime. Every Friday night, the Detroit Institute of the Arts (DIA) stays open late and holds a concert. A great way to get Loren to see Detroit (and see it's not so scary...most of the time)!

The building itself is beautiful (similar to much of the architecture around Detroit). Like a big, white Roman temple, it sits impressively along Woodward Avenue. At the top of its very tall staircase sits one of the most famous statues in the world: the Thinker. After Auguste Rodin created the cast of this bronze statue in 1880, 28 replicas were made and placed around the world, including the DIA. 

Not my photo

Inside the museum, before the concert, we went to a really interesting exhibit called "Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit". It documented the period of time the Mexican artists spent in Detroit. Diego was commissioned by Edsel Ford (of the Ford Motor Company) to paint murals for the museum that reflected the wealth and industry of the city of Detroit. However, during their time in Detroit, the couple became appalled by the disparity between the few wealthy and many poor citizens. Therefore, the murals he ultimately created contained a hidden message meant to reflect negatively on industry and capitalism, and were nearly destroyed when the socialistic message of the art was realized. 

The exhibit showed lots of sketches and early versions of the frescoes that ultimately filled what is now known as "Rivera Court" in the DIA. As Dave commented, it's interesting to see an art exhibit on other works of art within the same museum. 

After finishing the main exhibit, we walked through the museum to see the final product of his masterpiece. The murals reach up two stories high, and there are 27 panels of various sizes displaying the artwork. It's impossible to take it all in, there are so many working pieces. Each time we'd look at a section of the murals, we'd see something different, even when looking at the same panel twice. The vivid colors really brought the paintings to life, giving the still shots the appearance of movement. It was stunning.

Still not my photo

The other work of art that is famous in this musuem is Van Gogh's self-portrait, the only one on display in the US. I always love seeing Van Goghs in person because you realize that its not just the colors that are fascinating, but the way he uses his brushstrokes to give texture and depth to his paintings. Always amazes me. 

Definitely not my photo

Finally, we popped in to see the concert. The theme of the evening was "Boogie Woogie Piano". We saw a couple of guys just completely jam out on the piano, their fingers moving impossibly fast to completely different rhythms that synced up perfectly. It was a really fun show, and the crowd was totally into it, whooping and cheering throughout the performances when things got extra intense or exciting. 

There's a ton more stuff to see in the museum, particularly as the contents are supplied by the personal art collections of the Fords and other automotive mega-families. However, by 10pm, we were ready to head home. Entrance to the museum is free for residents of our county, so I have a feeling Dave and I will be making a few more trips down Woodward to see more.