February 14, 2018 (Detroit)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) and its auxiliary Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures present a two-day Lunar New Year celebration featuring Korean and Taiwanese cultural activities on Feb. 24 and 25 from noon to 4 p.m. Visitors can enjoy performances of traditional music, dance and singing, displays of calligraphy, painting and other art forms, art-making demonstrations and make-and-take workshops.

Activities are free with museum admission, which is free for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County residents.

“As we ring in the Year of the Dog, we’re looking forward to the opening of the DIA’s new Asian galleries this November,” said Katherine Kasdorf, DIA assistant curator for Arts of Asia and the Islamic World. “With our Lunar New Year programs, visitors will experience many of the ways people celebrate the new year in Korea and Taiwan.”

Saturday, Feb. 24

Performances in the Detroit Film Theatre Auditorium

Noon and 2 p.m.

Taiwanese Folk Music: Ann Arbor Traditional Chinese Music Ensemble with conductor Dr. Mou-Chi Cheng

An ensemble of traditional Chinese instruments, featuring the Ehru and Yangqin, play Four Seasons Red and Taiwanese Campus Folk Song Suite to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Lion Dance: The Michigan Lion Dance Team of Michigan and Ann Arbor Chinese Schools, directed by Jesse Wei

The Lion Dance is a traditional Chinese dance in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune.

Opera Recital: Oscar Zhang and Madeline Wu

Classical Italian opera and Taiwanese folk songs beautifully sung by this professional couple in tenor and soprano. Zhang is a Luciano Pavarotti Voice Competition winner.

Flower Crown Dance: The Hansamo Korean Traditional Dance Group

The Flower Crown Dance was traditionally performed by court dancers at banquets for royalty and foreign envoys. The dancers are elegantly dressed in full court attire and dance gracefully in full rhythm.

Samulnori: Hansori Korean Drumming Band of Eastern Michigan University

Samulnori is a Korean genre of percussion music performed with four traditional instruments including a small gong, a larger gong, an hourglass-shaped drum and a barrel drum.

Korean Fan Dance: The Hansamo Korean Traditional Dance Group

Performers dressed in brightly colored traditional clothes use large fans painted with pink peony blossoms to form shapes of flowers, butterflies and birds that seem to come alive on the stage.

Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24 and 25

Displays in the Great Hall Noon–4 p.m.

Chinese calligraphy in different script styles by Dr. Shinming Shyu and Ann Arbor Calligraphy Group.

Chinese paintings by Rhona Lee

Taiwanese Glove and Shadow Puppets

Traditional Korean Folk Paintings (minhwa) by Chun-Jha Ko

Korean alphabet calligraphy by Julius Gyu Cheon Hwang

Korean Four Friends of Scholar paintings—Plums, Orchids, Chrysanthemums, Bamboo—by Byung Joon Kim

Demonstrations in the Great Hall

Paper-Cutting by Ann Cheng at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 p.m.

Referred to as the art of “window flowers,” red paper cut in open fretwork designs are placed on windows, doors and gates with messages of good fortune for the coming year.

Korean Minhwa Painting by Chun-Jha Ko at 1 & 3p.m.

Korean folk painting that is characterized by bold colors and dreamlike scenes of animals and plants.

Make & Take Workshops in the Student Lunchroom (first floor)

Noon–4 p.m.

Chinese Calligraphy: Ann Arbor Calligraphy Group

Learn calligraphy writing of 春 (spring) or 福 (blessing), often associated with the New Year.

Paper Cutting: Ann Arbor Calligraphy Group

Learn to make 3-dimensional paper cuttings of Lunar New Year decorations.

Woodblock Printing: Ann Arbor Calligraphy Group

Make a print of your choice of five different patterns featuring lucky animal signs, including the “fortune double dogs” to celebrate 2018 Year of the Dog.

Korean Alphabet Calligraphy: Julius Gyu Cheon Hwang

Learn to write Hangul, Korean alphabet, characters using hanji (Korean mulberry paper), brush, ink stick and ink stone.

Four Friends of Scholar paintings—Plums, Orchids, Chrysanthemums, Bamboo—by Byung Joon Kim

Learn to paint a traditional Korean painting featuring one or more of these four plants that have characteristics of resilience and integrity in the face of adversity.

Museum Hours and Admission

9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. General admission (excludes ticketed exhibitions) is free for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county residents and DIA members. For all others, $14 for adults, $9 for seniors ages 62+, $8 for college students, $6 for ages 6–17. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.