Detroit Institute of Arts celebrating 125 years
Written by Hannah Nusser | | hnusser@toledofreepress.comThe Detroit Institute of Arts will celebrate 125 years with “DIA@125, a Gala,” a black tie event at the museum on Nov. 13.
From 6 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. guests will dine, dance and celebrate the DIA and its 125 years as a “cultural gem” of Detroit, said Graham Beal, director of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
“It’s usually quite an event,” he said.
To kick off the evening, Beal and other DIA officials will hold a brief program and a special tribute to longtime DIA supporters Alan and Marianne Schwartz.
The Schwartz’s are “significant figures in the Detroit cultural world,” Beal said, and have contributed ample time, resources and paintings to the museum for more than 50 years.
The DIA was established as the Detroit Museum of Art in March 1885. Originally located on Jefferson Avenue, it was moved to Woodward Avenue in 1927. Two wings were added to the building in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and it underwent massive renovation from 1999 to 2007.
“There’s hardly a cubic inch that wasn’t affected by it,” Beal said.
A video montage of the museum’s history will play throughout the night, Beal said, showing the changing of the building on Jefferson Avenue.
More than 60,000 works are housed at the DIA, including four van Gogh paintings and six Renoir works. In 1887 it became the first museum in the country to house a van Gogh painting. The DIA is known for the range and caliber of its collection, Beal said, which features works from around the world.
“Our permanent collection is one of the finest in the country,” Beal said. “There’s nowhere in time or geography that we won’t go looking for art.”
Beal said the gala will be an elegant, lively affair with dinner, dessert and dancing into the night.
“That’s what people come for,” Beal said. “Nice food, drinks, friends, dancing.”
Guests will be seated for dinner in three spaces of the museum: the Great Hall, Rivera Court and Kresge Court. Four ticket levels are offered. For $2,500 and $1,000 ticketholders, the evening begins with a VIP cocktail hour at 6 p.m. followed by a gourmet three-course meal. The $600 tickets, which also include dinner, are sold out. Late-night party tickets can be purchased for $125 and include a dessert buffet and drinks starting at 10 p.m. in the Prentis Court, and dancing to tunes by DJ Rock City, a Chicago-based DJ.
But “DIA@125, a Gala” is not the only way patrons can help the DIA celebrate its anniversary. Museum curators have chosen to highlight 125 great works throughout the museum. Art lovers can pick up a map and special brochure upon entrance to aid them in their quest to find the 125 chosen pieces.
Promotional specials are also being offered to celebrate the big anniversary. Yearly DIA affiliate memberships are now on special for $125, down from $180, and include free admission to more than 400 North American museums.
To learn more about the DIA visit www.dia.org. For gala tickets call 313-833-7967.
Tags: Detroit Institute of Arts, DIA
