Fun Things to do in the D this Weekend February 9-11, 2024

[Lowell]

Kickoff list culled from the MetroTimes. Add your suggestions below.

Black History Month Film Fest

When: Feb. 9 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Centric Place, Farmington Hills
What: A film festival
Who: Award-winning Detroit filmmakers
Why: To celebrate the culture and creative talent of metro Detroit’s Black filmmakers and showcase diverse stories through the art of short films.

BLKLUV: The 10-year Anniversary Show

When: Feb. 9 at 8 p.m.
Where: Aretha’s Jazz Cafe
What: A show of poetry, music, comedy, and more
Who: Hosted by Joel Fluent Greene with beats by Drake Phifer
Why: Celebrate Black History Month and Valentine’s Day at once by supporting local Black performers and vendors alongside your lover.

Crazy in Love

When: Feb. 9 and 10 from 6-10:30 p.m.
Where: Eloise Asylum, Westland
What: A Valentine’s Day-themed haunted house
Who: You and your Valentine
Why: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a scare at one of Michigan’s most famous haunted houses.

Dirty Show ’24

When: Feb. 9 and 10 from 7 p.m.-2 a.m.
Where: Russell Industrial Center
What: An international erotic art exhibition
Who: Many artists and burlesque performers
Why: Enjoy over 300 pieces of art by over 200 artists from around the country and across the globe, plus an awesome stage show.

STUPOR: Disappearing Act & My Secret Sickness

When: Feb. 9 and 10 from 9-10:30 p.m.
Where: Planet Ant Theatre, Hamtramck
What: A unique performance and Zine release party
Who: Local writers and performers
Why: The event celebrates a new issue of STUPOR, the “longest-running zine in Detroit.”

Union Free Admission Day at Cranbrook Art Museum

When: Feb. 10
Where: Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills
What: A free museum day
Who: Union members
Why: To celebrate hardworking community members.

Dilla Family Day

When: Feb. 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: Alkebu-Lan Village
What: An annual celebration of musical legacy
Who: Detroit comedian T Barb, Spin Inc., and J Dilla’s spirit
Why: Celebrate the life and legacy of J Dilla with workshops, performances, and more.

Clothing Swap

When: Feb. 10 from 12-4 p.m.
Where: Spot Lite
What: A clothing swap
Who: Detroiters
Why: Bring up to 10 pieces of clothing you’re done with and get new clothing for your closet.

SMPLFD Warehouse Sample Sale

When: Feb. 10 from 12-8 p.m.
Where: SMPLFD
What: A warehouse sale
Who: Anyone who wants some new fits
Why: The Detroit clothing store is selling old inventory at affordable prices.

Ray Gray art exhibition and reception

When: Feb. 10 from 3-5 p.m.
Where: The Congregation
What: An art exhibit
Who: Ray Gray
Why: Throughout February, former Golden Gloves boxing champion Ray Gray, who turned to art amid a nearly 50-year sentence he maintains was wrongful, is the featured artist at The Congregation. You can meet him at this reception.

BLACK x Sharp Pens Poetry Showcase

When: Feb. 10 from 6:30-9 p.m.
Where: The Carr Center gallery at the Park Shelton
What: A poetry show in an art gallery
Who: Poetry and art lovers
Why: See the Carr Center’s current Black History Month art gallery, plus support local poetry group Sharp Pens.

Stripped: Brandon Altman Solo Exhibition Opening Reception

When: Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m.
Where: Playground Detroit
What: An art exhibition
Who: Brandon Altman
Why: The art explores the concept of fragmentation leading to wholeness using painting, collage, and vintage source images from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Art on the Riverfront

When: Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m.
Where: Brix Wine
What: An art show
Who: Over 15 local artists curated by Geno Harris
Why: Support Detroit artists.

Ampersand Book Club: Dilla Time

When: Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
Where: 27th Letter Books
What: A book club
Who: Anyone who has read Dilla Time
Why: Discuss the life and legacy of J Dilla and what you learned from Dilla Time, at this local bookstore’s monthly book club.

Kawaii Land

When: Feb. 10 from 8 p.m.-midnight
Where: Trumbullplex 4210 Trumbull, Detroit, MI 48208
What: Music, fashion, food, and more
Who: Local artsy folks
Why: It sounds cool. It’s queer-friendly. There will be alternative rap and R&B music. Plus, you get to support a community organization while having fun.

Winter Supply Drive + Community Open Mic

When: Feb. 11 from 1-5 p.m.
Where: Bloodroot Herb Shop, Ypsilanti
What: An open mic and winter supply drive
Who: Presented by the Ypsilanti Tenant’s Union and Washtenaw Camp Outreach
Why: See performances by local poets, plus donate to an important cause. It’s free to attend, with a suggested donation of $10.

Music of Gideon Klein, Hans Krása, and more

When: Feb. 11 from 3-5 p.m.
Where: The Scarab Club
What: An instrumental concert
Who: Performers include violinists Laura Roelofs and Velda Kelly, violist Scott Stefanko, and cellist Ben Maxwell
Why: The program highlights inventive works written by three composers who were killed in the Holocaust: Hans Krása, Gideon Klein, and Erwin Schulhoff.

[Kathleen]

Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
"honors the legacy of African American filmmakers and actors from the dawn of cinema, through the golden age, and into the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. Inspired by and named after an independent 1923 all-Black-cast movie, Regeneration seeks to revive lost or forgotten films, filmmakers, and performers for a contemporary audience."
https://dia.org/events/exhibitions/regeneration

We saw the exhibition yesterday and highly recommend it. There are some free films shown in tandem with the exhibition. And more films through the Detroit Film Theatre.

[Kathleen]

Also at the DIA through February 18...
After Cubism: Modern Art in Paris, 1918–1948
A really interesting exhibit...with lots of Matisse! I saw it twice!!

https://dia.org/events/exhibitions/after-cubism

[Kathleen]

Desiree Kelly's "Encore" Art Exhibition at The Galleria, Detroit Public Library through the end of February.

https://detroitpubliclibrary.org

[Kathleen]

Preserving Sweetest Heart of Mary Fundraiser
Friday, February 9 5-9pm
456 Charlotte St [former Founder's Brewing site]

Srodek's food truck. Beer. Preview of Elephant & Co. newest venture. Music. Silent auction.

https://www.motherofdivinemercy.org/campaign

[Zacha341]

Nice. I'd like to see this for certain!

Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
"honors the legacy of African American filmmakers and actors from the dawn of cinema, through the golden age, and into the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement...