DIA wins top museum honor from USA Today

Detroit — The Detroit Institute of Arts was named Best Art Museum of 2023 by USA Today readers.

The DIA earned the top spot on the annual USA 10 Best Reader's Choice list after coming in fifth in 2022 and sixth in 2021.

"Housed within a Beaux Arts building, the Detroit Institute of Arts maintains a collection of some 65,000 works – among the largest and most comprehensive in the United States," the announcement said. "Visitors can explore human creativity from across the globe as they explore more than 100 galleries, including the Center for African American Art, one of the first collections devoted to African American art at a major museum."

The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore came in second on the 2023 list, while the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico was third.

The DIA acknowledged the honor last week on its Facebook page.

"We are beyond thrilled and honored to share that the Detroit Institute of Arts has been named the 'Best Art Museum' by the great folks at USA TODAY in their 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards! We couldn't be prouder of our museum, our amazing team, and the community we serve.

"Thank you to everyone who voted for us and who supports our mission of inspiring and enriching people's lives through art. We couldn't have achieved this recognition without your enthusiasm and love for the DIA. We will continue to work hard to provide incredible experiences for our visitors and to celebrate the power of art in all its forms. Thank you again for this amazing recognition!"

The DIA became embroiled in controversy last month, when Brazilian art collector Gustavo Soter filed a lawsuit claiming ownership of a rare painting by Vincent Van Gogh, "Liseuse De Romans" — also known as "The Novel Reader" or "The Reading Lady" — which is valued at more than $5 million.

The painting was part of the DIA's "Van Gogh in America" exhibit, which closed Jan. 22. The popular exhibit was the largest display of the Dutch post-Impressionist works on American soil in decades, drawing more than 200,000 in pre-ticket sales.

A Detroit federal judge dismissed the lawsuit against the DIA. Soter appealed the decision with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.