DIA: The Cultural Gem of Detroit

Ever since I was a kid, I have been in love with the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). The institution was the first high culture organization that planted the seed within me to appreciate the finer things in life. And every time I travel to a city that has an art museum, I visit it. As a current member of the DIA, I have known for quite a while its delicate financial situation, but I did not know how dire it really was. When the State of Michigan cut state funding to the museum back in the early 90s, the DIA miraculously still managed to maintain a world-class museum without state support, but it has suffered with closed galleries and laid off staff, etc. So in order to keep the doors open, there was a tax millage proposal on the August 7th ballot that residents of the tri-county SE Michigan region had to vote on (Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb). This tax, while it's another tax, it is a property based tax that at most would be another $10-$20 a year. Pennies really, but the millage had some vocal and tough opposition. People who had no common sense or clue about what it takes to manage and maintain a Top 10 in the country, high quality, highly respected art museum in a large city. And I'm sure some classicism attitudes and other anti-social forms of ignorance and prejudiced played a role in opposing funding the museum.

Thankfully, the millage passed yesterday, in a landslide in Wayne and Oakland counties, but by only a mere 1500 votes in Macomb county. Why such resistance in Macomb, I can think of a few, but I don't want a positive article to turn negative. Over the next ten years, the DIA will receive up to $23 million annually from these counties, and all residents of those counties have free entry into the museum starting TODAY. So even if they go just once a year, the new tax will have paid itself in full with change to spare.

DIA leaders argued the tax was needed to stabilize the museum’s finances and warned failure at the polls would lead to dramatic cuts in exhibitions, education programs, hours and might force the DIA to close. Critics of the museum complained the threat of closure was a scare tactic.

Some comments at the Detroit Free Press article perfectly demonstrate how some people just don't get why this millage was so important, and it's scary to think that this kind of negative mindset could have helped closed the doors on the DIA, providing further embarrassment to the City of Detroit and the entire region. This Suburban vs Detroiters crap needs to end... this was not about that, it's about the whole area as the DIA is a 127 years old cultural gateway to introducing residents and visitors alike, to what a world-class museum is like in mid-town Detroit. With all its battle scars, Detroit needs the DIA to stay vibrant and viable, and I'm so glad that the people voted with common sense and the millage passed.

Mike Reade · Top commenter

I do not care about a single thing within the corrupt hole of Detroit. I don't want my tax dollars funneled out of MY community and into Detroit. If Detroit wants an art museum, they can figure out how to fund it themselves. I don't ask Detroiters to fund my city's libraries, parks, courts, etc.

 

Attitudes just like this guy (who probably lives in Macomb Co.) has been very vocal, anti-DIA, and obviously anti-Detroit (tinged with bigotry no doubt). I'm glad the millage prevailed so that our metro region can show visitors that not everyone in this area is anti-culture, narrow-minded, mean spirted, and ignorant - but compassionate and supportive for art for everyone to enjoy. I'm taking my mother and niece to the DIA on Aug 18th and we're going to have a blast!