Speakers Bureau
To schedule a speaker, please click here to fill out the reservation request form. You can also contact Cynthia Blackburn at 313.833.1510 or at cblackburn@dia.org.
Make Your Next Meeting Something to Talk About
Trained volunteers bring the DIA's world-class collection to your adult group through informative slide presentations
on a variety of subjects. Your organization can select from special exhibitions or one of over 40 different topics
ranging from "The Rise of a Great Museum" to "Rivera’s Detroit: The Detroit Industry Murals." Click here
for a full list of current talk offerings.
Talks last up to one hour and are available to adult groups in the metro Detroit area. There is no set fee, but the
DIA suggests a contribution of $35 (or $1 per person for groups of more than 35 people). The donation is tax-deductible.
To schedule a speaker, please click here to fill out the reservation request form or contact Cynthia Blackburn at
313.833.1510 or at cblackburn@dia.org.
Note: A screen and a room that can be darkened are required. Lecturers provide projection equipment.
Current Talk Offerings
NEW OFFERINGS
Women of Spirit and Power
Throughout history women have been portrayed in a wide variety of roles from wife and lover to warrior and more. Explore these women and the roles they played in the cultures they represent.
The Woman with a Thousand Faces
Whether a realistic portrait or an abstract rendering, women have been the source of inspiration for artists and have represented stories, legends, ideas and myths. Explore the meaning behind the images of these women.
Getting Framed!
What is a frame? Is it only the outer elaborately carved pieces of wood that adorn some of the paintings at the DIA or can it be something more? Take a fun and fascinating look at what a frame can be.
Chivalry, Armor and Courting Culture
Take a close look at life in the early Middle Ages through the early Renaissance with this examination of the time of the knight in shining armor.
Lotus Blossoms: Highlights from the Asian Collection at the DIA
Explore the arts of Asia and the universality of the lotus blossom through the art, poetry and literature of the Orient.
The Renaissance
About 500 years ago society and are went through a period of exciting change as people awoke to the wonders of our world and to the ideas of the ancient world of Greece and Rome. Explore these changes through this look at the Renaissance through the art of the DIA.
The Beauty of Bronze
From the earliest of times to the modern world sculptures have been part of man’s attempt to tell stories and add beauty to our existence. Explore the beauty, grandeur and fluidity of this ancient medium.
Perfectly Clear: The Art of Glass
Since ancient times, man has paid an almost mystical attention to glass, attributing something magical and supernatural to this transparent medium. Take a closer look at some of the amazing glass that is in the permanent collection of the DIA.
Art and Politics
The rules of governance have been a part of our lives since ancient times. Take a look at how art can reflect the politics of the nations and peoples of the world from ancient times through the present.
South of the Border
From ancient American to Diego Rivera and beyond, explore the vast contributions to the art world by our neighbors to the south.
Hidden Stories
Is there more to a story behind a work of art than what you see? Have fun exploring some of the multiple interpretations, ambiguous meanings and historical contexts behind some works at the DIA and find what else lies beneath the surface.
Money and Art
Money, whether good or bad, has an impact on virtually everything. In this presentation, you will explore the ways that money has impacted not only art and culture, but politics, families and dynasties, from all over the world.
DETROIT
Rivera’s Detroit: The Detroit Industry Murals
Diego Rivera considered the Detroit Industry murals the most successful of his career. Explore the DIA's signature artwork and the stories behind it.
The Rise of a Great Museum
Take a historical journey through the DIA from its ambitious beginnings to its present status as one of the world’s premier fine arts museums.
WOMEN AND ART
Female Trailblazers
Rachel Ruysch, Artemisia Gentileschi, Kiki Smith and Gilda Snowden are artists from various time frames including fifteenth-century Italy and contemporary Detroit. Learn how these women defied gender specific roles and have risen above prejudice to create enduring artistic statements.
From a Woman: A Woman’s Work Illustrated
Women from diverse Western and non-Westernized societies have contributed to the arts through various functional objects such as clothing, bowls and beading. Discover the relationship between these beautiful “tools” and fine art.
The Portrayal of Women
Explore how women from various cultures have been portrayed as wives, daughters, goddesses and harlots in paintings and sculpture.
Queens, Goddesses and Divas
Learn about powerful, prestigious, refined and beautiful women depicted in Asian, African, Native American and European art.
RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
Women of the Bible
Discover stories of women in the Old and New Testament through their depiction in paintings, prints and stained glass.
The Life of Christ
Learn about art from Italian and Northern European regions and how artists used symbolism, representation and artistic techniques, such as tempera and gold leaf, to communicate the life of Christ.
Picturing the Birth of Christ
Discover how early Christian and Renaissance artists from Italy and Northern Europe have depicted the birth of Christ and the events surrounding this story.
Portraying Christ’s Death and Resurrection
Explore the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ as depicted by Italian, North European and American artists.
Art in the Age of Cathedrals
Travel back to the medieval period to explore the architecture of cathedrals, Gothic chapels and the objects found inside them.
The Power of Myth
Learn how myths and legends shaped our world by studying African masks, Greek and Roman gods, the story of Adams and Eve and European stories.
Spiritual Beings
Explore various concepts of spirituality through ancient Middle Eastern, Egyptian and Asian imagery illustrated on altarpieces, tomb paintings, shrines and more.
COUNTRIES, NATIONS AND SOCIETIES: NEW STYLES OF ART
American Ingenuity: Nineteenth-Century American Decorative Arts
Discover the early days of American artistic innovation (furniture makers, metal and glass workers, etc.) and its influence on future generations of American artists and inventors.
Beyond Renaissance: Baroque Art
Italian and Northern Renaissance baroque art is dramatic and uses movement, tradition, intense spirituality and realism. Explore this seventeenth-century art and its followers.
French Impressionism
Trace the history and emergence of a style that shook the art world in the late nineteenth century, yet is enormously popular today.
Breaking New Ground: German Expressionist Art
Early twentieth-century Germany was a time of social and artistic change. Explore this explosive period and discover the art and artists that Hitler labeled “degenerate.”
The Spirit of African American Artists
Hear about the lives and times of African American artists from the late nineteenth century to the present day.
CULTURE AND GENERAL INTEREST
Music and Dance in the Visual Arts
Throughout the centuries, performing and visual arts have expressed feelings, moods and cultural identities. Travel around the world to experience the power of music and dance in the visual arts.
Healing Art
Explore art from cultures throughout the world that addresses illness and healing.
Face Value: Vanity, Fashion and Culture as a Mirror of Society
Discover how dress, adornment and hairstyles convey beauty, power and prestige.
Saints and Sinners
Learn about art featuring dramatic stories about villains and heroes from different cultures.
The Artist behind the Face
Analyze how artists' moods and personalities affected their paintings.
Tiny Treasures
Discover exquisite, unique and larger-than-life art—no piece is larger than 9 inches!
Children of the World
Glimpse into the lives of children through paintings, sculpture and clothing from around the world.
In Full Bloom: Flowers and Plants in Art
Travel across continents and through history to discover the special meaning behind flowers and plants and how they are used in art.
Seeing Red: The Use of Color
Learn about the various ways artists employ color—to grab attention and to evoke happiness, sadness, solemnness and awe, among other emotional responses.
Through the Eyes of the Artists
Explore the mind of the artist by comparing and contrasting similar subjects from different points of view.
Power of Persuasion
From ancient Mesopotamia to the twentieth century, see how art has been used to persuade, advertise and convey power.
Fantasy, Innovation and Luxury: The Art of Eighteenth-Century France
Learn about the everyday lives of the French aristocracy through the objects they owned and the luxuries they enjoyed.
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