The Detroit Institue of Arts has been considered “a beacon of culture for the Detroit area” for well over a century. The massive museum located on historic Woodward avenue spans over 658,000 feet and includes 100 galleries, an auditorium, lecture hall, art reference library and conservation services laboratory. The DIA boasts one of the largest and most substantial art collections in the country and is considered to be among the top six museums in the United States. It all began with the first painting donated to in 1883, since then the collection has grown to include over 60,000 works of art.
The most well know attraction of the DIA is the Detroit Industry mural by Diego Rivera. The piece consists of twenty-seven panels that took Rivera eleven months to complete. It is highly regarded as Diego’s best work and the premier piece of Mexican mural art in the United States. The collections also proadly displays the first painting by Vincent Van Gogh to enter into a collection in the United States. The strength of the collection is truly in its diversity. The DIA has a well rounded collection that includes works of African, Asian, Native American, Oceanic, Islamic and Ancient art in addition to vast displays of American, European, Modern and Contemporary, and Graphic Art.
Gift of a Lifetime: The James Pearson Duffy Collection
Detroit Revealed: Photographs 2000-2010
Once Upon a Time: Prints and Drawings that Tell Stories
Pattie Smith: Camera Solo
Faberge: Designing Luxury, from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
March is Fan Appreciation Month at the DIA and they are offering free admission to all of their fans on Facebook for the entire month of March! Click here to print the voucher that admits up to 4 people. Have you ever visited the DIA before? What is your favorite piece?
