Detroit Cultural Center Association

10/09/2026

Calling all teaching artists and creative educators!

Our friends at Y Arts Detroit are bringing back The Exchange, a one-day professional development summit designed to connect, inspire, and support teaching artists from across Metro Detroit and beyond!

Whether you're an experienced teaching artist or just beginning to explore opportunities in arts education, The Exchange offers a chance to build connections, exchange ideas, and learn from fellow creative professionals through workshops, panel discussions, and networking.

Friday, November 20, 2026
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Boll Family YMCA, Downtown Detroit
Registration is just $15!

A special shoutout to the Fred & Barbara Erb Family Foundation and the Max & Marjorie Fisher Foundation for supporting this event and for their continued investment in Detroit's arts education community!

Both foundations have been important supporters of our own Educators Night and are helping strengthen the connections between arts and cultural organizations, educators, and youth-serving nonprofits across our region. Their commitment to collaboration is helping create more opportunities for young people to experience and engage with the arts.

We're excited to help spread the word about this opportunity to strengthen Detroit's creative and arts education community!

Learn more and register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-exchange-teaching-artist-professional-development-summit-tickets-1999690624488

10/05/2026

HOUDINI 100: MAGIC & MYSTERY

Detroit has one very good reason to celebrate Houdini this Halloween.

One hundred years ago, Harry Houdini gave his final performance in Detroit. This Halloween, the Detroit Historical Museum is bringing his strange, spectacular world back to life.

Expect live magic, daring escapes, contortion, sideshow performances, historic curiosities, food, drinks, and plenty of mystery—all inspired by Houdini’s incredible career and his final days in Detroit.

Featuring historian Brendan Roney, variety performer Nathan “McScary” Wakefield, and magician and escape artist Anthony Grupido.

For one night only, the impossible returns.

Halloween at the Detroit Historical Museum
21+
Come ready for magic, mystery, and spectacle.

Purchase your tickets here:
https://www.detroithistorical.org/houdini

10/01/2026

We’ve always known Small World Kitchen was a gem — now The Detroit News is helping spread the word.

Tucked away in the lower level of the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, Small World Kitchen serves up big flavors from around the globe at prices that are increasingly hard to find. The Detroit News highlighted everything from biryani and shawarma to samosas, hummus, mango lassi and baklava — calling out both the variety and affordability of the menu.

It’s also one of our favorite spots in the Cultural Center for a casual lunch meeting, a quick bite between institutions, or simply discovering something new.

Congratulations to our friends at the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit and Small World Kitchen on this well-deserved recognition — and thank you to The Detroit News for shining a light on a place we’ve long loved.

Read the article:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/dining/2026/09/29/hidden-detroit-restaurant-small-world-kitchen-serves-a-global-menu/91814112007/

Location:
111 E. Kirby Street, Detroit, MI 48202, inside the International Institute
Open Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

09/30/2026

Two of the Detroit Cultural Center’s longtime institutions are asking Wayne and Oakland County voters to consider a new source of public support for their work.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Detroit Historical Society — which operates the Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum — have joined together on the proposed "Yes to Our Story” museum millage, a 10-year, 0.2-mill proposal that will appear on the November 3 ballot. If approved, it would provide dedicated operating support and free admission for Wayne and Oakland County residents, along with transportation and tours for school and senior groups and additional educational resources.

Detroit City Councilmember Scott Benson recently wrote about what is at stake:

"Museums are more than just repositories for artifacts. They are where we go to learn of the past, reflect on the present, and ensure that our children and grandchildren know the stories of how our state, counties, and cities came to be.”

He went on to argue that the two institutions face serious financial challenges and that the millage would provide a sustainable source of support.

Together, The Wright and the Detroit Historical Society care for approximately 300,000 artifacts related to our region’s history and play an essential role in preserving and sharing the stories of Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Learn more about the museum millage, what it would fund, and what Wayne and Oakland County voters will see on the November ballot in the BridgeDetroit and Michigan Chronicle stories:

https://michiganchronicle.com/say-yes-to-our-story-support-the-museum-millage/
https://www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-council-backs-museum-millage-campaign/

Learn More:
https://www.yestoourstory.com

09/24/2026

Happy 100th anniversary to the Park Shelton!

We’re proud to have the Detroit Cultural Center Association’s office in the historic Park Shelton, right in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center. We're equally proud of the Park Shelton Neighborhood Association Board for its work to secure a historic marker recognizing this remarkable building and its place in .

Join the Park Shelton community today, September 24, at 6 PM for the official historic marker unveiling. Guests will gather by the piano in the lobby, raise a ch*****ne toast, and head outside for the unveiling, followed by appetizers, music, and conversation with neighbors.

The evening will also feature special guest Douglas Haller, a historian, archivist, curator, historic preservationist, and former Park Shelton resident. Douglas has conducted extensive research on the building’s history—from its beginnings as the Wardell Hotel to the Park Shelton we know today—and will share stories about its significance and some of the notable people who have called it home.

Congratulations to our Park Shelton neighbors on 100 years of history, and on preserving that history for generations to come. 🥂

09/23/2026

Exciting growth at the Hellenic Museum of Michigan! 🇬🇷

The Museum’s new "Agora to America" program, created in partnership with Detroit Puppet Company, reflects its growing capacity to develop meaningful youth programming and welcome more students into the .

Through puppetry, storytelling and hands-on learning, Detroit-area students will explore the roots of while connecting history to their own lives.

We’re excited to see the Hellenic Museum expanding its educational reach and creating new opportunities for young people in our community!

The Hellenic Museum of Michigan (HMM) announces the launch of a new educational program created in partnership with the Detroit Puppet Company (DPC). Developed for Detroit-area students and timed to America's 250th anniversary, Agora to America: A Puppetry Celebration of Democracy’s Living Legacy, traces democracy's roots from the ancient Athenian agora, to the American voting booth, and to an imaginary world where kids vote. The program centers on a live puppetry performance, followed by an interactive workshop and ends with a museum tour where students will use ancient methods to vote while exploring puppetry's long history as a tool of public storytelling and civic dialogue.

The program is supported by a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM) and a grant from the Hellenic Educational Committee to expand program offerings in the community.

“We are grateful to the Community Foundation for its generous support in awarding HMM this grant. This marks an important occasion in the HMM’s history, as it highlights our growing capacity to partner and produce meaningful experiences for youth in our community,” said Harry Gaggos, Executive Director of the Hellenic Museum of Michigan. “We also acknowledge the Hellenic Educational Committee for its generous grant to allow us to expand this special program to metro area youth,” he continued.

HMM is coordinating with the Detroit Public Schools Community District to bring classrooms to the Hellenic Museum, with additional participation from metro area parish-based Greek-language programs. This marks the first partnership between the DPC and HMM. In total, the program is anticipated to welcome around 20 classrooms and about 500 students.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Hellenic Museum of Michigan on Agora to America and to use puppetry to help young people explore what democracy means in their own lives,” said Carrie Morris, founder of the Detroit Puppet Company. “Puppetry has a long history as a form of public storytelling, a way for communities to share ideas, ask questions and talk about the world around them. This project gives us an opportunity to connect that tradition with the origins of democracy in ancient Greece and, most importantly, to invite students to see themselves as participants in an ongoing civic story.”

HMM and DPC will track the program's impact through student participation, student learning outcomes about voting and elections, and evidence that teachers incorporate student-made puppets into follow-up lessons. Performances and workshops will take place in late October at the Hellenic Museum’s Carriage House and continue into the new year.

In celebration of Agora to America, HMM is inviting community sponsors to help sustain the Hellenic Museum's ongoing work preserving and sharing Hellenic culture in Detroit.

https://givebutter.com/Agora-to-America

Detroit Cultural Center Association Detroit Puppet Company

09/17/2026

Detroit Dance City Festival returns to the Detroit Institute of Arts for three days of performances, master classes, and networking celebrating dance in all its forms.

Now in its 14th year, Dance City Festival brings together local, national, and international talent across multiple stages - including choreographer showcases in Rivera Court, a special site-specific performance, and Dance and Celebration, the festival's signature evening event featuring national and international guest choreographers. Master classes are held at Wayne State University, and a networking speed dating session offers arts professionals a chance to connect.

September 18 - 20 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Free and open to the public.

09/15/2026

Oh, all the places you’ll go today!

Educators Night is finally here! Join us today from 4-7 p.m. and explore the Detroit Cultural Center while connecting with more than 80 education nonprofit partners.

From arts and culture to history, literacy and STEM, there’s plenty to discover along the way.

Preregister today and receive your FREE Detroit Cultural Center tote bag, while supplies last, and see where the night takes you!

Register today and discover what’s possible beyond the classroom: bit.ly/EducatorsNight2026

09/14/2026

Can you tell several of our Cultural Center institutions are hype for Educators Night?!

IN TWO DAYS, teachers, school administrators and leaders are invited to the fourth annual Educators Night from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Detroit.

This FREE event connects educators with more than 80 nonprofit partners across Southeast Michigan to provide classroom resources, professional development and field trip opportunities for their students throughout the school year.

Pre-register to snag a free tote bag while supplies last, explore five Cultural Center institutions and learn more about educational resources beyond the classroom.

Click here to register your spot today: https://bit.ly/EducatorsNight2026