The Detroit Institute of Arts Museum kicked off Black History Month with a celebration open to the public on Feb. 2, organized by team of local African American culture leaders and artists.
The night was filled with guided tours, performances and a late night dance party, all free for Detroit residents.
Organizers aimed to “honor African American artistic creativity with learning, entertainment, and extended hours encompassing the theme of movement in the African American community and Detroit.”
One of the main performances of the night was by Mahogany Jones, an African American female rapper, educator, singer and local activist.
Jones sang several of her own songs live along with her band. She is known for being a four-time champion on BET’s 106 and Park: Freestyle Fridays.
The different exhibits also had their own guided tours.
One Detroit local said the tours were “very informative and enlightening.”
“The things we do day-to-day date all the way back to the Ancient Egyptian civilization in 3100 BCE. It made me open my eyes to things I never thought of before,” she added.
The new D-Cyphered exhibit: Portraits by Jenny Risher, showcases a range of Detroit hip-hop artists from the 1980s all the way to present day.
Seventy-five portraits from 2015-2017 depict a timeline of Detroit's hip-hop history.
“The exhibit was full of pictures of popular artists from my childhood to now. It was a trip down memory lane,” said another Detroit resident.
“It was really a night to remember.”
