Whether you’re interested in art, cars, crafts, music, history or crafting, there are plenty of ways to take up a hobby in Detroit in the new year. In Detroit, there are ways to spend your time while engaging in exhilarating, hands-on, educational activities that can turn into favorite hobbies that are continued for years to come.
The city, well known as The Motor City, Detroit Rock City or Motown, has many names for a reason. The names dates back the historic heart of the American Automotive industry and important role of music which further exemplifies the many characteristics the city has always offered. The city gives Detroiters the opportunity to sample endless amounts of craft beer, attend a pottery class, dive into record stores, indulge in delicious food and further explore the culture and art history of the city.
While many already have passions that root deep into the culture of Detroit, there is still so much more to learn. If you’re looking to take on a new hobby in 2021, explore these interests that our beloved city has to offer:
ART
One of the many ways Detroit continues to express itself is through art. If you are passionate about art and want to indulge in the creativity the city showcases, there are dozens of galleries, artists, hidden graffiti spots and carefully crafted architecture spots to enjoy. If you aren’t sure where to start, visit the Detroit Institute of Arts, or one of Detroit’s most well-known public art pieces, the Heidelberg Project, to join the art scene.
PHOTO DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
BREWERIES / CRAFT BEER
Detroit has slowly become a home for well-known breweries and hotspots for Detroiters to visit. For those who are passionate about the craft beer industry, there are hundreds are beers to sample throughout the city. To get started, visit Brew Detroit, Motor City Brewing Works, Detroit Beer Co., Atwater Brewery and Tap House, Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria & Brewery, Founders Brewery Co. Detroit, or Eastern Market Brewing Co. Although some breweries have limited hours and indoor dining is not currently an option in Detroit, craft beer and food orders can be placed to-go or can be enjoyed outside. Be sure to look for details on your brewery of choice.
PHOTO BREW DETROIT
HISTORY
Detroit is a city with a rich history that is told throughout multiple museums. There is a museum for every interest, or anyone looking to dive into a new hobby or interest. From art museums, science museums, culture museums and more, Detroit has it all. The Henry Ford, Greenfield Village, Detroit Historical Museum, Motown Museum, Michigan Science Center, Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit are just a few of the many museums the city has to offer. Become a history aficionado and head to the museum now.
PHOTO MOCAD
MUSIC
If music is your passion, or you are looking to make it your passion, Motown is the place to do it. The city has a musical legacy that comes from singers, songwriters, performers, and musicians who inhabited this city in the ’40s and influenced the genres of jazz, blues, R&B/soul, and hip-hop. Although we do not have the opportunity to attend concerts right now, there are many ways to dive into taking music on as a hobby in Detroit:
For those learning to play music:
- Detroit Institute of Music Education
- Genesis School of Music
- Ray Daniels House of Music
- Music Authority School
For those looking to enjoy music virtually, look to Detroit Symphony Orchestra Digital Concerts, which have already received wide-spread recognition and critical acclaim for their incredible variety of music from a diverse collection of composers, featuring DSO musicians, a new Music Director Jader Bignamini, and visits from guest artists and conductors.
For those looking to learn about music history in Detroit, visit The Motown Museum, which houses the studio where stars like the Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded classic hits, as well as photographs and memorabilia of its chart-topping artists.
PHOTO DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PAINTING
Taking on painting and pottery can be used as a way to deter stress, anxiety and get the mind off of the stresses of 2020 (that have now bled into 2021). When painters create something beautiful and channel their inner creativity, it can relieve the mental strain we have all been feeling on our shoulders the last year. Taking up the hobby of painting can promote stress relief, expand creative growth, help with emotional growth, and increase an optimistic attitude. Detroit allows residents to do just that at local businesses where you can paint on-site or purchase supplies to take home: Creative Arts Studio, ArtLoft Midtown, Painting Vibe, Painting with a Twist and Speckles+Spatter.
PHOTO RUSSN FCKR / UNSPLASH
