Today was a little cultural tour for us. Bob had read good things about the Detroit Institute for Art (DIA), so we knew we wanted to get there while we were visiting . Luckily, we checked their website last night, as they require reservations for entry, and we booked a slot for 10 am. It was about a 40 minute walk to get there.
Our initial impression of the museum was not good. A gentleman sitting right inside the door asked Bob for the electronic tickets, scanned them, and then went and sat down. Bob picked up a map for the building, and we tried to make our way forward. We had a number of stops and starts trying to figure out where to go, and it seemed for awhile that we were either being told we couldn’t enter that area or the room/exhibit was marked as closed. I was starting to wonder what we had paid to see, but we persevered (helped when we finally figured out what floor we were on), and we ended up very impressed.
I always enjoy an art museum where the building is as attractive as the art, and this was. The DIA also has an impressive range in their collection— everything from Asian, Southeast Asian, and African art, to American, European, ancient artifacts, old books, and decorative arts. They were also having a special exhibition on Detroit Automotive Style from the 1950s to today. The following are some of the highlights for us, and we would definitely recommend a visit.
One of the highlights of the visit was speaking with a docent about the Diego Rivera murals that adorn all four sides of a large hall (Rivera Court) within the institute. She provided us with some of the background for the painting, including how Rivera’s workers would transfer the sketches onto the wall and apply the wet mix that was needed for Rivera to paint on.
After our 2.5 hours or so at the DIA, we walked directly across the street to the Detroit Public Library. I love libraries, and they can sometimes be architecturally interesting as well. This one seemed promising.
The inside of the library was beyond disappointing. Only the first floor has reopened due to COVID. It is dark, low-ceilinged, and generally uninspiring. Worse, it was not air conditioned and quite warm. I felt sorry for the staff. Bob spoke with one employee who said that the second floor is beautiful, so I guess if we get back to Detroit we may have to return to check that out.
Tomorrow we head to Holland, Michigan for a brief visit before taking the ferry to Wisconsin.
Bob, here! The Diego Rivera Court was very impressive—my favorite at the art institute. It made me think of his work at Rockefeller Center in NYC. For the rest of 2022, we have scheduled (which will change) 10 sits in California, Scotland, Kansas City, Austin (multiple), Denver, Chicago, and England.
Peckish Travels 