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DIA lays out 2025 program plan centered on free admission, school and community outreach
Summary
The Detroit Institute of Arts told the Wayne County Art Institute Authority it will emphasize free admission for Wayne County residents in 2025, launch a 12‑artwork booklet to drive visits, expand school pilots and renew community installations including a virtual component for Inside Out.
Vice Chair Steven Grady Mohammed convened the Wayne County Art Institute Authority meeting as the Detroit Institute of Arts presented its 2025 program plan emphasizing free admission for county residents.
Julie McFarland, executive director for community engagement and public affairs at the DIA, told the authority the museum will prioritize the free‑admission benefit in 2025 and use new outreach materials to connect residents to the collection. "2025, we're really going to focus on this free admission benefit and making sure that we're promoting this and providing those pathways for people in the community to see themselves at the museum," McFarland said.
The DIA plans a small, portable book of "12 artworks to inspire" intended for distribution at community events. McFarland said the booklet will include a tear‑off coupon so the museum can measure redemptions as a proxy for conversion: "Certainly, redeeming that coupon and coming to the museum is like number 1," she said. The booklet is intended to introduce residents to works they may recognize and to encourage visits.
School programming will expand through both the existing free field‑trip program (transportation provided) and an in‑school pilot for 4th and 5th graders. Anthony Smith, vice president for learning and audience engagement, described the in‑school model as a 90‑minute session that combines a classroom visual‑thinking discussion and an art‑making activity. The pilot will start in one district per county (Van Buren in Wayne County, with Gibraltar next) and include a formal evaluation before any broader rollout.
On senior outreach, McFarland said the DIA commits to bringing at least 60 senior groups from Wayne County in 2025 and will introduce themed docent tours on a bi‑monthly rotation to encourage repeat visits. "Those begin this January February," she said, noting the museum’s efforts to make repeated visits appealing.
Community partnership programs will continue and expand. The Inside Out public‑art program will include Tri‑County sites in 2025 and a strengthened digital layer: DIA staff reported a virtual Google‑map component tested on Mackinac Island drew strong engagement and will be developed into a platform for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. McFarland said the museum will also create a quarterly print calendar to highlight millage benefits and larger outreach partnerships with county commissioners.
Judith Dolkar, deputy director for art education programs, previewed exhibitions for 2025 including "Art of Dining," "Painted with Silk," and TIFF Massey’s "7 Mile and Livernois," noting TIFF Massey had already seen attendance exceed 100,000. "Tiff is aiming to rival Van Gogh in her numbers. And she's already at over 100,000," Dolkar said.
The DIA representatives said they will provide a fuller marketing plan and metrics to the authority at a future meeting and welcomed staff and commissioners to observe pilot sessions.
The authority asked for a link to the DIA calendar on the authority’s web page and requested follow‑up reporting on pilot evaluations and marketing expenditures.
