(Best viewed in original size)
When I wrote earlier about the Grand Reopening of the Detroit Institute of Arts, I focused on the party aspect of it all. Of course I was still high from dancing for hours to some astounding electronic music DJs. Besides it was 5 a.m. and I'd been up all night. But today I want to celebrate the jewel of a museum that Detroit has recreated.
We've always been known for our excellent collection of art--apparently the 4th best in the United States--but until now most of it was in storage. We just didn't have sufficient space to display it. But six years of construction, $158 million including an unexpected $40 million charge to remove asbestos, visionary DIA Director Graham Beal's insistence that the museum be reinvented to be more accessible to the people of Detroit--what some museum experts are calling a "populist revolution"--the addition of 31,000 square feet of gallery space so that 5500 works of art can be displayed at a time, inventive design ideas implemented by master architect Robert Graves, four new galleries devoted to African American art--unusual in any museum--plus exciting new interactive and multimedia programs for all ages makes the 122 year-old Detroit Institute of Arts the place to watch in museum circles. But more than that, it puts the DIA on track to becoming the thriving center of Detroit's cultural and artistic life that it deserves to be. And judging from the people's response during its 32-hour Grand Reopening, someone sure had their finger on the pulse of the people when they dreamed this daring dream into being.
On Friday night, the Detroit News reported: "At the latest count, around 9 p.m., the 32-hour marathon reopening had attracted more than 19,000 visitors, an average of about 1,000 people entering every 30 minutes, said Sven Gierlinger, vice president of museum operations. The crowds were so heavy around 2 p.m. staffers temporarily had to restrict access to the building, which has a capacity of about 7,000, he said."
Hundreds waited outside in the cold for people to leave so they could get in. Every gallery I visited was jampacked. Even when I scooted through the second floor galleries at 1 a.m. on Saturday morning. When I finally left the museum at 3:20 a.m., young people were still streaming in. Now they may have been there to party, but what I noticed in every gallery was each person's rapt engagement with the art...no matter what their age, race, national origin, educational background or economic situation. Director Beale's populist revolution was happening before my eyes! It was one of the most exciting experiences of my 42 years in this amazing city. And I think I may have had the longest staying power of almost anyone--16 1/2 hours straight! CLICK HERE to see what the Detroit News reporter Ursula Walker had to say about your PBase friend Patricia.
