DETROIT, Mich – In 2018, more than 280,000 residents from the tri-county area visited the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), an increase of almost 5,000 from the previous year.
According to the 2018 Community Engagement Reports, released by the museum this week, of the 280,000 visitors, 127,3444 were from Wayne County, 97,713 were from Oakland Country and 47,587 were from Macomb County. Due to a tri-county millage passed in 2012, admission is free to all Macomb, Oakland and Wayne county residents.
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DIA director Salvador Salort-Pons thanked the tri-county residents for their support and hopes to see the attendance continue to grow.
"The programs we are able to offer through the support of the tri-county residents has allowed us to provide more historical and cultural experiences for all ages that cannot be found in books, on TV or on the internet,” Salort-Pons said.
In addition, student and senior visitors also increased in 2018. A total of 70,005 visitors were students, which was 4,000 person uptick from 2017. Senior groups jumped from 152 groups in the previous year to 242 from across all three counties. Both student and senior groups in the tri-county area are provided with free bus transportation through the 2012 millage.
For both students and seniors, the museum offers special programming.
DIA gallery teachers use inquiry-based, student-centered teaching strategies to facilitate learning to pre-K-12 classrooms, homeschoool groups, summer and recreational camps and community organizations. K-12 guided field trips aim to build creative thinking and inspire curiosity and wonder through a multitude of active, hands-on engagements. If teachers prefer a non-guided tour, the museum provides helpful online teaching resources, including graphic organizers tied to various curriculum areas, lesson plans and writing prompts.
"Thursdays at the Museum" is a popular attraction for the senior groups. The special program offers film screenings, lectures and art-making tours for adults age 55 and older. After the event, the museum holds a complimentary coffee and cookie reception.