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Closing Day at the DIA

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

THE DIA TEMPORARILY CLOSES ITS DOORS, BUT THE FUN CONTINUES!

May 27 filled with art, music, and mini golf to celebrate last phase of renovation

 

 

            May 16, 2007 (DETROIT)—To give “Great Art a New Start” at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), the museum will celebrate the start of  the final phase of its six-year building and gallery reinstallation project with a day of special events on Sunday, May 27 capped off by a ceremony to officially close the museum galleries until November.  

 

            Highlights of the day include:

·        Free general admission to the museum (does not include admission to the Ansel Adams exhibition).

·        Marcus Belgrave and his all-star band will present a special tribute to New Orleans jazz in Rivera Court. Performances at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

·        Random giveaways and prize drawings throughout the day.

·        Last chance to see the acclaimed Ansel Adams exhibition. Don’t miss over 100 black-and-white photographs on display.

·        Last look at some of the DIA’s greatest hits before the opening of the new DIA in November.

·        Closing ceremony on the front steps of the Woodward Avenue entrance to officially lock the museum doors at 4:45 p.m.

·        The first putt on Fore!Fun: Artfully Designed Mini Golf. Museum Director Graham W. J. Beal will officially open this unique mini golf course at 5 p.m.  

 

            “We invite the public to join us on this special day as we celebrate the start of the final phase of the DIA’s six-year renovation and expansion,” said Beal. “When we reopen in November, you’ll find a building that’s more user friendly, and an extraordinary art collection that will be presented in a more meaningful way to our visitors.”

 

             Even while the museum is closed, the DIA will have a great line-up of activities for the summer. With events like Fore!Fun: Artfully Designed Mini Golf, the debut of the DFT Film and Music Festival, summer camps, summer dining at CaféDIA and the popular art-making Drop-In Workshops at many local art festivals, there will be no shortage of fun.  Details about all of these great events can be found at www.dia.org.

 

            To complete the final phase of the renovation project, which includes reinstalling over 6,000 works of art in redesigned galleries, the museum will close beginning Monday, May 28, the day after the Ansel Adams exhibition ends.  

 

            The grand opening of the new DIA kicks off Nov. 10 with an exclusive first-look, black tie gala fundraiser. The museum officially opens to the public at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving.           

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The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA's collection is known for its quality, range and depth.

 

The DIA is currently undergoing a major renovation, and will be closed from May 28-Nov. 23 in order to complete the reinstallation of some 6,000 works of art. While we are closed, we have many summer activities to enjoy, including mini golf on the lawn, a film and music festival, and drop-in workshops at art festivals around Michigan. Visit dia.org for more information.

 

Programs are made possible with support from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the City of Detroit.

 

 

Media Contacts      Pamela Marcil         313-833-7899       pmarcil@dia.org

                                 Brendy Barr           248-651-4858       bbarr@dia.org

 

 

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