First experience at the Detroit Museum of Art

Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) | A Hidden Cultural Gem Near Campus – Free Entry with Student ID! The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) has got to be the best cultural spot right by campus—with a student ID, you get in for free! I honestly want to come back every week 🎨, it’s that good! If you enter through the main door, you’ll step right onto the 2nd floor, facing the Great Hall. And there, you’ll see the murals that reflect Detroit’s former glory—the details in these murals are where the magic is! Especially the babies painted in the scenes and the artist’s notes—they all feel like a hopeful nod to the future, which adds so much depth 🖌️. The Asian Gallery really impressed me with how professional the curation is, especially when it comes to showcasing Chinese views on life and death. That said, it would’ve been even better if they added explanations about intergenerational heritage and the “treating others as you’d wish to be treated” philosophy—little touches that would make the cultural context even clearer ✨. I was totally surprised by the Japanese tea culture exhibit, though! It even explained the origins of Japanese wood-fired pottery—something I never expected to learn here 😲. There’s also an interactive video that breaks down Japanese tea culture (don’t get me wrong, Chinese tea culture is just as diverse and rich too! 😊). Finally, the highlight: getting to see original works by Van Gogh and Monet! Standing in front of Van Gogh’s painting, you can actually feel the flow of his brushstrokes—like the world in his mind was made of swirling energy 🌪️. Monet’s pieces, on the other hand, feel more like a dream—soft, hazy, like waking up to a garden on a lazy afternoon 🌼. All in all, you could easily spend a whole day here and still not see everything. I only got a quick glimpse this time 😅, so I’ll definitely be back. This museum is way more than just a “check-in spot”—it’s a place to slow down and soak in art. #2025BackToSchool #2025SchoolSeason #TravelAuthorSupportProgram #StudyAbroad #RecordTheMoment #StudyInUSA #Museum #MyDailyLife #StudyAbroadDiary #ExchangeTripStories