THE ARTS
by Amber Valentine
The thaw is finally upon us! And with it comes all the things we Detroiters have learned, through years of conditioning, to associate with the wonders of Michigan spring – Bipolar weather that will surely have us bundling for at least two more snowfalls before Easter, strolls down a less-frigid Riverwalk, and, of course, March du Nain Rouge, happening on the 20th from 1 to 3 pm.
If cabin fever has given you the mental rickets this winter and you can’t wait until the 20th to leave the house, check out these supa dupa fly suggestions that will have you exiting out of your Neko Atsume app and leaving your house for – The outdoors! The DIA! Downriver! Who knows what adventures this March shall hold for you, dear Met readers, but feel free to @ me on social media and tell me all about them!
Shakespeare in Detroit
Shakespeare in Detroit is about to kick off its third season by premiering Julius Caesar, with performances on both the 4th and the 5th. Fresh air and a famous bard? Can’t beat that! Shakespeare in Detroit has performances all season long at various locations throughout the city but they’re igniting the year in Taylor at WCCCD. For more info, check out
shakespeareindetroit.com! (WCCCD, 21000 Northline Road, Taylor. (734) 946-3500. http://shakespeareindetroit.brownpapertickets.com/)
Feel up for a day trip? Sure there’s a hundred thousand things to do in Detroit, but a quick drive on over to Ann Arbor can score you a great walk around the Nichols Arboretum (Plants! Trees! FLOWERS!) And, if you head over sometime between the 15th and the 20th, you can catch a selection of nearly 200 films curated from all around the world as part of the Ann Arbor Film Festival. A staple in the Michigan arts scene for a whopping 54 years, the AAFF features animated shorts, lengthy docs, moving dramas, and more, brought straight to you from film fests all over this fine young planet. Check out the whole roster and list of venues and corresponding events at http://aafilmfest.org/ and pack yo’self a picnic lunch! (P.S. The poster for the film fest is from last year but only because the graphics for this year’s are AWFUL!)
Did you or your best lady friend submit to Tangent Gallery’s Venus Rising all female art exhibit? The curated show will feature not only dozens of the submitted pieces but also live music, poetry, and more, with 25% of all proceeds raised going towards Alternative for Girls, a foundation that helps homeless and at risk teens avoid the trappings that so many youths face, like pregnancy, drug addiction, and suicide. A good time for a good cause? Sign me the heck up! Venus Rising will be opening on March 19th at 6 p.m. – And as we all know, the earlier you get to an art opening, the better snacks you end up scarfing. (Tangent Gallery is located at 715 E. Milwaukee, (313) 873-2955)
Recreate your AA day the Detroit way by visiting the flowers of Belle Isle, letting the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory stand in for the Arb, before making your way to one of my personal favorite places in city, The Detroit Institute of Arts, and paying a visit to The Detroit Film Theatre! On March 26th, they’ll be showing the visual delight Welcome To The Space Show by Japanese artist Koji Masunari. Fun for the whole family and for those who like to dabble in the extracurricular hallucinogen before they take in their animation, Welcome To The Space Show’s trailer is worth a youtube. (Learn more at dia.org. The Detroit Film Theatre is located inside the DIA at 5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. (313) 833-7900)
Though the name is the same, Amber Valentine has no relation to Metropolitan sponsor Valentine Distilling Company. You can reach her on Twitter and Instagram via @AmberAudra where she loves to chat, follow back, and make new friends!