Events

Many people doodle as a fun, spontaneous way to express ideas. Grab some drawing materials and see where your creativity takes you! Experiment with Paint markers, Color Pencils, Gel Pens and more-to make something truly unique.   Learn More: Drop-In Workshop: Doodle Art | Detroit Institute of Arts Museum

In this workshop you’ll learn to make a journal for recording your adventures and travels, using heavy card stock, paper, and a rubber band. No experience needed. All supplies provided.   Learn More: https://dia.org/events/drop-workshop-travel-journals-1?event_date=2026-08-28 

Create a One-of-a-Kind Handmade Print in this Mixed Media Monoprint Workshop. Participants will explore traditional printmaking techniques while incorporating mixed-media materials to create unique, expressive works of art. Through layering, color, and texture, each participant will produce a one-of-a-kind handmade print to take home. Join printmaker De'Mone Davis for an introduction to traditional printmaking through

New Music Detroit (NMD) celebrates 19 years of strange and beautiful music in the Motor City. This year's theme, 'AFTERIMAGE', traces the meaning that emerges through the resonance and reverberation of listening together. Night 2 of SBM 19 at the Detroit Institute of Arts opens with a very special set by Joy Guidry — bassoonist,

Dance on Screen provides a space for dance filmmakers to present their work. Presented in the Marvin and Betty Danto Lecture Hall, dance on screen highlights local, national, and international dance films in diverse styles of dance. (90 min.)    Learn More: https://dia.org/events/dance-city-festival-dance-screen-0?event_date=2026-09-19

This curated showcase brings together an inclusive representation of local, national, and international artists and dancers to share their current projects with other professionals and general audiences alike. Set within the historic DFT Auditorium, witness the creativity and passion of contemporary choreographers as they bring their visions to life on stage. (90 min.)  Learn More

Bring the family (along with blankets and lawn chairs) for an afternoon of dance on the DIA’s Woodward Plaza. Featuring performances by local, national, and international talent curated for family audiences, Summer Stage promises to be a festival highlight for all ages. Sunday will feature family-friendly outdoor activities to get everyone moving! Learn More Here -  https://dia.org/events/dance-city-festival-summer-stage-0?event_date=2026-09-20

In celebration of the centennial of John Coltrane, saxophonist Marcus Elliot presents a reimagining of one of Coltrane’s most visionary works, Africa/Brass. Featuring newly commissioned arrangements by composer and arranger Kris Johnson, this project reinterprets selections from the landmark Africa/Brass album through the lens of contemporary improvisation and orchestration. Performed by a ten piece ensemble with Marcus Elliot

Master saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell is one of the great innovators in creative music of the post-Coltrane, post-Ayler era. He has for over 40 years been a restless explorer of new forms, ideas and concepts. This performance is in partnership with Edgefest, the award-winning annual avant-garde jazz and creative new music festival in Ann Arbor and

Nobuntu is a female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe that has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel. Their exciting and uplifting concerts feature their pure voices along with traditional dance and percussion. The word Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love,