I'm trying to get all my "Michigan Local" goals wrapped up as soon as possible so that I won't have to scramble for them at the end of the summer. To that end, I completed #16 when I visited the Detroit Institute of Art a week or so ago (woah, okay, May 16th. Man, time flies). 
We had a pretty awesome time wandering around the museum. On Friday evenings, the museum stays open late (we were there from 6-9 PM) and has special events going on.
I've created a slideshow to showcase some of my favorite photos from the museum. The one piece of art I show is The Nightmare, by Henri Fuseli (1781); I like it because it reminds me of the movie Rosemary's Baby. The Dutch exhibit had a setup where the viewer could make their own "Vanitas" painting. Vanitas paintings consist of elements that remind you to seize the day; skeletons, snuffed out candles, globes, and books are common themes. I took a few shots of one sculpture of a dancing couple, as this was my favorite sculpture and sculpture is probably my favorite type of art. One of the special events was drawing in the sculpture gallery; they had drawing benches, easels, paper, and pencils so that anyone could try their hand at sketching. My friend Katie did an excellent sketch of a sculptured horse head. After that picture, there are a few shots of the huge mural Diego Rivera specifically did for Detroit. It features a lot of scenes from the auto industry and is not a flattering picture.
Finally, there is a picture of the painting that still has Katie and I talking. We affectionately call the subject "Rappy McRapperstein," but the painting is really "Officer of the Hussars" by Kehinde Wiley (2007). Katie loves horses, so we've decided that it would be the perfect addition to her home collection (though there is the small problem that the painting is probably larger than her house). After returning home, we realized just how awesome the painting is. Turns out it is really a pastiche of a much older Officer of the Hussars from 1814.
I ended up really enjoying the museum, so I hope I get to return someday. Right now, it's super easy to visit, as Michigan libraries in this area are giving away free passes to visit the museum. The only thing better than art is free art.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.