Nov 16, 2016: Your Arts and Culture Adventure Picks
This post is a part of a series of posts curating adventurous arts and culture experiences in Southeast Michigan. Sign up for email updates (choose “Arts & Culture Adventures” list).
It’s been a challenge to not focus completely on the election and turkey in November 2016, but I’m here to remind you Southeastern Michigan is an amazing place for arts and culture. This month explore hyper-local and global works of art within a 50 mile radius. It’s time to get inspired!
Re-Release Party (The Golden Record)
If you could explain the world to an alien, how would you do it? How would you explain language? What kinds of music would you play for them? A Host of People, a Detroit performance company, has devised a play based on The Golden Record – a 1977 project led by Carl Sagan which attempted to communicate the story of life on earth for extraterrestrials and future humans on a phonograph. A group of dedicated local artists will provide a multimedia experience which asks the viewers – how do we want to be remembered? How do we explain ourselves? Come see this great play on November 4 -19 for just $15 a ticket. More.
Drawing in the Diaspora: Comic Art & Graphic Novels by Leila Abdelrazaq
Dearborn’s Arab American National Museum shares the creations of Leila Abdelrazaq, a Chicago-based illustrator who fuses activism and artistry in comics and graphic novels. Baddawi, her debut graphic novel, is a coming-of-age story based on her father’s experience in a refugee camp. Pieces from her new novel along with original illustrations, comics, and zines will be on display at this exhibition November 12 – April 19. Be sure to also check out Bigmouth Press & Comix – a blog founded by Leila Abdelrazaq dedicated to uplifting the work of female and non-binary comic artists with roots in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. More.
portrait of myself as my father
Enter the ring at Detroit’s Downtown Boxing Gym for a visceral experience heightened by the ferocity of Nora Chipaumire – a Zimbabwe-born choreographer who explores African masculinity in this personal performance. UMS presents portrait of myself as my father on November 17, where three performers take the stage on a make-shift boxing ring for an exposition that “achieves chillingly sudden shifts in mood, from joking and light to excruciatingly dark.” (New York Times). More.
Hai Xin Wu
Take part in an intimate performance on November 18 with world-class violinist, Hai Xin Wu, in the Lakefront Ballroom at the Grosse Point War Memorial. The venue is completely dazzling, and tickets are only $25. Hai Xin Wu is Detroit Symphony Orchestras Assistant Concertmaster Violinist, and is sure to provide a delightful experience to the audience as he has done for decades around the world. His talents mixed with the picturesque view of Lake St. Clair are the makings of a night to remember. More.
Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
My great-grandparents came from Poland so naturally I enjoy sauerkraut, polka, and I’m intrigued by the 23rd Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival at Michigan Theater. The November 18 – 20 weekend is a lineup of dramas exploring relationships, time-sensitive thrillers, animated films, and family friendly options. Admittedly I forget most of the Polish I have learned throughout the years, so thankfully all the movies come with subtitles! More.
Thanks so much for reading! If I missed an event that’s important to you, reach out to me on Twitter. And if you explore any of these events, be sure to let UMS know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Photos courtesy of artists and performance spaces.
Marissa Conniff is a UMS Blogging Fellow. Learn more about the blogging fellows program.
