Detroit Institute of Arts Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Updated Apr 19, 2022
April 19, 2022 (DETROIT)— Each year in May the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) partners with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community groups, enhancing their voices and experiences by showcasing a blend of traditional and contemporary dance, musical performances, art, and more. This year’s celebration and performances include Burmese, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Mongolian, Polynesian, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cultures.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) is presented both in-person and virtually. In-person events require prior registration. Updates and events are added every day, visit www.dia.org/APAHM2022 for registration info and event fees (if required).
At this time, face masks, proof of vaccination or negative test are required to attend events in the Studio, DFT Auditorium, or Lecture Hall. Masks are encouraged, but not required, for all visitors and staff, regardless of vaccination status.
General admission to the museum is always free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
Thursday, May 5
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Studio Visit: Japanese Woodblock Printing with Mary Brodbeck 1 p.m.
Michigan native Mary Brodbeck demonstrates Japanese woodblock print-making techniques for viewers in this special APAHM program. Her work may be found in museum collections such as at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Muskegon Museum of Art, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and others. (Virtual)
Thursday, May 12
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Virtual Tour: Asian Galleries 1 p.m.
In honor of APAHM, DIA docents Ray, Frank, and Freda take viewers through the DIA’s recently renovated (2018) Asian galleries, with works spanning thousands of years in galleries of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian art, as well as a gallery for Buddhist art. (Virtual)
Saturday, May 14
Drop-In Workshop: Scrolls 11a.m.–5 p.m.
Scrolls have been used for centuries to keep records and as decoration, particularly in East Asian cultures where scroll paintings and calligraphic wall hangings are widely seen. Visitors will make their own scroll out of simple materials to take home. (In-person)
Wimee’s Words DIA Edition – Vishnu Sculpture 1 p.m.
Celebrate APAHM with Wimee, a fun lovable robot that inspires kids to learn through creativity, by exploring a sculpture of the Hindu god, Vishnu. Participants can watch the show live on the DIA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel and let their ideas become part of the show! (Virtual)
Detroit Film Theatre: In Front of Your Face 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
After years living abroad, former actress Sangok is back in Seoul, staying with her sister Jeongok in her high-rise apartment. The siblings sleep late, have breakfast in a café and visit a restaurant owned by Jeongok's son. As the details of Sangok's day comes to light, it becomes clear that the mysteries she is not revealing may have something to do with her decision to meet with a film director to discuss her return to acting. With this intimate, delicate new film, director Hong Sangsoo suggests that perhaps the most important things in this life are also the most immediate. In Korean with English subtitles. (In-person)
Tickets are $9.50 general admission, $7.50 seniors, students and DIA members. There is a $1.50 online convenience fee when purchasing tickets online.
Sunday, May 22
Detroit Film Theatre: In Front of Your Face 7 p.m.
(see May 14 for description)
Tuesday, May 24
Mad About Painting: Hokusai and Freer: A Lecture with Dr. Frank Feltens 6 p.m.
If anyone in the United States and Europe can name just one Japanese artist, that name will surely be that of Katsushika Hokusai. Thanks to Charles Lang Freer’s pioneering collecting and aesthetic sensibility, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is home to the world’s largest collection of Hokusai’s paintings and drawings. This talk explores the motivations that formed the backdrop of this spectacular collection of Hokusai’s works. (Virtual)
The lecture is co-sponsored by the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures and The Freer House, Wayne State University. With supporting-sponsors, Japan Business Society of Detroit, Japan Cultural Development, Japan America Society of Michigan and Southwest Ontario
Thursday, May 26
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Concert: Susie Ibarra 1 p.m.
Susie Ibarra, nationally renowned Filipina-American composer, percussionist and sound artist features three new works created in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Ibarra is joined on these works by Japanese electronics artist, Yuka C. Honda, and Filipino artist, violist, Daniel Louis Doña. (Virtual)
Friday, May 27
Drawing in the Galleries: Asian Galleries 6–8:30 p.m.
Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection in the Robert & Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing. No experience is necessary. All supplies provided. DIA Studio artists will be on-site for guidance. For ages 6 - Adult (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult). Capacity is limited. (In-person)
Saturday, May 28
Drop-In Workshop: Bojagi 11a.m.–5 p.m.
Generations of Korean artists have made patchwork cloths called bojagi (boh-jah-ghee). Traditionally, they created these cloths from scraps of fabric found in the home, carefully sewing them together by hand. Bojagi could be used to cover food, wrap gifts or precious items, or carry everyday things. Today, contemporary artists are reengaging with this tradition, investing bojagi with new meanings. Supplies will be provided for visitors to make their own bojagi to take home. (In-person)
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Cultural Presentations 12:30 p.m.
AAPI artists based in Southeast Michigan come together to showcase their work informed by the traditions of their ancestral homes and their lived experiences in America. Featuring modern dance infused with electronic music and pansori by a collaboration of Korean artists, Joori Jung, Eun-oh Shin and Joo-won Park, stories of finding belonging by Burmese Americans, demonstrations of the iconic Mongolian Horse Head Fiddle, Morin Khuur, Xaio Dong Wei’s mix of classical Chinese instruments with rock and roll, and the powerful sounds of Japanese musical instruments performed by Sakura Japanese Instrumental Group & Great Lakes Taiko Center: Raion Taiko .
With introductory remarks by Senator Stephanie Chang and Representative Padme Kuppa as well as DIA Director, President and CEO Salvador Salort-Pons and other DIA staff and auxiliary members. Emceed by Fox 2 Detroit news anchor, Roop Raj. (In-person)
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Performance: Evolution: The Road to Legacy 3 p.m.
Moving through metaphors of migrating and evolving culture, this performance features music, dance, language, and technology from Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Mongolian, Polynesian, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cultures, deeply rooted in tradition and informed by each artists lived experience, that weave together to express ideas of our global community, with its sense of beauty as well as its challenges.
Emceed by Fox 2 Detroit news anchor, Roop Raj. (In-person)
Friday, June 3
Lecture: Artist Talk with Royyal Dog 4 p.m.
Join the DIA’s studio coordinator Zak Frieling for a conversation with Royyal Dog (Chris Chanyang Shim, 심찬양), a graffiti writer from Seoul, Korea. Best known for his photorealistic murals of African American women in traditional Korean hanbok dresses and iconic rappers, his paintings carry a message of global harmony and have been recognized for multiculturalism. His work can be seen around the world, including Lansing, Mich. and soon also in Grand Rapids where Royyal Dog is currently working on a new mural to be unveiled on June 10. (Virtual)
Thursday–Sunday, June 16-19
Vincent Chin 40th Remembrance & Rededication Throughout day
Forty years after the murder of Vincent Chin and the miscarriage of justice that followed, amid a climate of anti-Asian hate similar to today’s, a four-day commemoration will be held in-person in Detroit and virtually, featuring a special screening of the acclaimed documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin?, as well as national and community dialogues, public art and cultural performances, an interfaith remembrance ceremony and more.
Please visit www.vincentchin.org for full schedule and details.
April 19, 2022 (DETROIT)— Each year in May the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) partners with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community groups, enhancing their voices and experiences by showcasing a blend of traditional and contemporary dance, musical performances, art, and more. This year’s celebration and performances include Burmese, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Mongolian, Polynesian, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cultures.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) is presented both in-person and virtually. In-person events require prior registration. Updates and events are added every day, visit www.dia.org/APAHM2022 for registration info and event fees (if required).
At this time, face masks, proof of vaccination or negative test are required to attend events in the Studio, DFT Auditorium, or Lecture Hall. Masks are encouraged, but not required, for all visitors and staff, regardless of vaccination status.
General admission to the museum is always free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
Thursday, May 5
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Studio Visit: Japanese Woodblock Printing with Mary Brodbeck 1 p.m.
Michigan native Mary Brodbeck demonstrates Japanese woodblock print-making techniques for viewers in this special APAHM program. Her work may be found in museum collections such as at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Muskegon Museum of Art, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and others. (Virtual)
Thursday, May 12
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Virtual Tour: Asian Galleries 1 p.m.
In honor of APAHM, DIA docents Ray, Frank, and Freda take viewers through the DIA’s recently renovated (2018) Asian galleries, with works spanning thousands of years in galleries of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian art, as well as a gallery for Buddhist art. (Virtual)
Saturday, May 14
Drop-In Workshop: Scrolls 11a.m.–5 p.m.
Scrolls have been used for centuries to keep records and as decoration, particularly in East Asian cultures where scroll paintings and calligraphic wall hangings are widely seen. Visitors will make their own scroll out of simple materials to take home. (In-person)
Wimee’s Words DIA Edition – Vishnu Sculpture 1 p.m.
Celebrate APAHM with Wimee, a fun lovable robot that inspires kids to learn through creativity, by exploring a sculpture of the Hindu god, Vishnu. Participants can watch the show live on the DIA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel and let their ideas become part of the show! (Virtual)
Detroit Film Theatre: In Front of Your Face 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
After years living abroad, former actress Sangok is back in Seoul, staying with her sister Jeongok in her high-rise apartment. The siblings sleep late, have breakfast in a café and visit a restaurant owned by Jeongok's son. As the details of Sangok's day comes to light, it becomes clear that the mysteries she is not revealing may have something to do with her decision to meet with a film director to discuss her return to acting. With this intimate, delicate new film, director Hong Sangsoo suggests that perhaps the most important things in this life are also the most immediate. In Korean with English subtitles. (In-person)
Tickets are $9.50 general admission, $7.50 seniors, students and DIA members. There is a $1.50 online convenience fee when purchasing tickets online.
Sunday, May 22
Detroit Film Theatre: In Front of Your Face 7 p.m.
(see May 14 for description)
Tuesday, May 24
Mad About Painting: Hokusai and Freer: A Lecture with Dr. Frank Feltens 6 p.m.
If anyone in the United States and Europe can name just one Japanese artist, that name will surely be that of Katsushika Hokusai. Thanks to Charles Lang Freer’s pioneering collecting and aesthetic sensibility, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is home to the world’s largest collection of Hokusai’s paintings and drawings. This talk explores the motivations that formed the backdrop of this spectacular collection of Hokusai’s works. (Virtual)
The lecture is co-sponsored by the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures and The Freer House, Wayne State University. With supporting-sponsors, Japan Business Society of Detroit, Japan Cultural Development, Japan America Society of Michigan and Southwest Ontario
Thursday, May 26
Thursdays “at” the Museum: Concert: Susie Ibarra 1 p.m.
Susie Ibarra, nationally renowned Filipina-American composer, percussionist and sound artist features three new works created in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Ibarra is joined on these works by Japanese electronics artist, Yuka C. Honda, and Filipino artist, violist, Daniel Louis Doña. (Virtual)
Friday, May 27
Drawing in the Galleries: Asian Galleries 6–8:30 p.m.
Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection in the Robert & Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing. No experience is necessary. All supplies provided. DIA Studio artists will be on-site for guidance. For ages 6 - Adult (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult). Capacity is limited. (In-person)
Saturday, May 28
Drop-In Workshop: Bojagi 11a.m.–5 p.m.
Generations of Korean artists have made patchwork cloths called bojagi (boh-jah-ghee). Traditionally, they created these cloths from scraps of fabric found in the home, carefully sewing them together by hand. Bojagi could be used to cover food, wrap gifts or precious items, or carry everyday things. Today, contemporary artists are reengaging with this tradition, investing bojagi with new meanings. Supplies will be provided for visitors to make their own bojagi to take home. (In-person)
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Cultural Presentations 12:30 p.m.
AAPI artists based in Southeast Michigan come together to showcase their work informed by the traditions of their ancestral homes and their lived experiences in America. Featuring modern dance infused with electronic music and pansori by a collaboration of Korean artists, Joori Jung, Eun-oh Shin and Joo-won Park, stories of finding belonging by Burmese Americans, demonstrations of the iconic Mongolian Horse Head Fiddle, Morin Khuur, Xaio Dong Wei’s mix of classical Chinese instruments with rock and roll, and the powerful sounds of Japanese musical instruments performed by Sakura Japanese Instrumental Group & Great Lakes Taiko Center: Raion Taiko .
With introductory remarks by Senator Stephanie Chang and Representative Padme Kuppa as well as DIA Director, President and CEO Salvador Salort-Pons and other DIA staff and auxiliary members. Emceed by Fox 2 Detroit news anchor, Roop Raj. (In-person)
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Performance: Evolution: The Road to Legacy 3 p.m.
Moving through metaphors of migrating and evolving culture, this performance features music, dance, language, and technology from Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Mongolian, Polynesian, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cultures, deeply rooted in tradition and informed by each artists lived experience, that weave together to express ideas of our global community, with its sense of beauty as well as its challenges.
Emceed by Fox 2 Detroit news anchor, Roop Raj. (In-person)
Friday, June 3
Lecture: Artist Talk with Royyal Dog 4 p.m.
Join the DIA’s studio coordinator Zak Frieling for a conversation with Royyal Dog (Chris Chanyang Shim, 심찬양), a graffiti writer from Seoul, Korea. Best known for his photorealistic murals of African American women in traditional Korean hanbok dresses and iconic rappers, his paintings carry a message of global harmony and have been recognized for multiculturalism. His work can be seen around the world, including Lansing, Mich. and soon also in Grand Rapids where Royyal Dog is currently working on a new mural to be unveiled on June 10. (Virtual)
Thursday–Sunday, June 16-19
Vincent Chin 40th Remembrance & Rededication Throughout day
Forty years after the murder of Vincent Chin and the miscarriage of justice that followed, amid a climate of anti-Asian hate similar to today’s, a four-day commemoration will be held in-person in Detroit and virtually, featuring a special screening of the acclaimed documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin?, as well as national and community dialogues, public art and cultural performances, an interfaith remembrance ceremony and more.
Please visit www.vincentchin.org for full schedule and details.