DETROIT, MICH.- The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) announced today it has received a transformative gift of more than 2,000 works of modern and contemporary art by nearly 500 artists, all generously donated from the Estate of Gilbert B. and Lila Silverman. The Silvermans were visionary collectors whose deep commitment to the DIA and the City of Detroit has shaped the museum’s relationship with contemporary art. This monumental gift adds substantially to the DIA’s renowned collection of modern and contemporary art.

Broad in media, geography, and chronology, this significant gift includes artists books, decorative arts, drawings, furniture, jewelry, paintings, performance and documentation, periodicals, photographs, prints, sculpture, textiles, and time-based media. This gift enriches the holdings of several DIA departments: African American Art, American Art, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Modern and Contemporary Art, Native American Art, and Prints, Drawings, and Photographs.

Among the many highlights are works from the Silvermans’ important collection of Fluxus art, a radical, international movement of the 1960s–1970s that emphasized participatory and experimental new approaches to art-making. Works by key Fluxus artists including founder George Maciunas, Joseph Beuys, George Brecht, Eric Andersen, Ay-O, Robert Filliou, Alison Knowles, Yoko Ono, and Ben Vautier join 130 other canonical Fluxus works that came to the DIA in 2008 from the Gilbert B. and Lila Silverman Fluxus Foundation.


Rene Magritte, The Labors of Alexander (Les Travaux d'Alexandre), ca. 1950, brown pencil on paper. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of the Lila and Gilbert Silverman Collection, 2023.544.

The gift also includes works by several artists who will be represented in the DIA’s collection for the first time, such as Vito Acconci, Eleanor Antin, Janine Antoni, Diane Arbus, César, Delta 2, Mary Beth Edelson, Charles Gaines, Antony Gormley, Jenny Holzer, Tehching Hsieh, Nicolás García Uriburu, Rachel Whiteread, Hannah Wilke, and Christopher Wool.

This special donation also includes works by artists including: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Marina Abramović and Ulay, Arman, Robert Arneson, Richard Artschwager, Cay Bahnmiller, John Baldessari, Jennifer Bartlett, Lynda Benglis, McArthur Binion, Chris Burden, Daniel Buren, James Lee Byars, John Chamberlain, Judy Dater, Michele Oka Doner, Marcel Duchamp, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Lucio Fontana, Sam Gilliam, Brenda Goodman, Hector Guimard, Tyree Guyton, Zaha Hadid, Duane Hanson, Raymond Johnson, Alex Katz, On Kawara, Jeff Koons, Joseph Kosuth, Barbara Kruger, Glenn Ligon, René Magritte, Piero Manzoni, Gordon Matta-Clark, Bruce Nauman, Gordon Newton, Claes Oldenburg, Meret Oppenheim, Martin Puryear, Rammellzee, Man Ray, Diego Rivera, James Rosenquist, Susan Rothenberg, Kiki Smith, Pat Steir, Stelarc, Bill Viola, and Andy Warhol, among others.

“We are profoundly grateful to the Silverman family for this extraordinary gift of 2,000 works, which represents one of the most significant donations in our museum's history,” said Detroit Institute of Arts Director Salvador Salort-Pons. “This substantial addition to our collection will offer an entirely new world for our visitors, enriching their understanding of modern and contemporary artistic voices and perspectives, proudly displayed in our new galleries opening later this year. It is a testament to the Silverman’s enduring love for this city and our museum, as well as their belief in the power of art to inspire and unite our community.”


Tehching Hsieh, One Year Performance 1981-1982, New York. Life Image in Spring. Photo: Tehching Hsieh. © Tehching Hsieh.

Over several decades, the Silvermans built an extraordinary collection that reflected their bold taste and pioneering support for avant-garde movements. Beyond their collection, they were active participants in the life of the DIA. Lila was a long-time supporter of the Patron Travel Program and served on various museum committees and boards, including leadership roles in the Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Friends of African and African American Art. Gilbert, a lifetime supporter, served for many years on the DIA’s Board of Directors and was an emeritus director. His connection to the museum stretched back to his youth, when he recalled climbing the scaffolding in Rivera Court as Diego Rivera painted the murals, and even shaking Rivera’s hand. In recognition of their decades of service, the couple received the DIA’s Lifetime Service Award in 2003.

“The DIA was a deeply meaningful part of our parents’ lives, and the gift of their collection to the museum reflects the enduring passion and commitment they felt for the institution, as well as for the artists whose work they championed,” said Paul Silverman, son of Gilbert and Lila Silverman. “As a family, we are immensely proud of the impact their gift has made at the DIA, and we look forward to seeing their legacy continue to live on and inspire others through works in the museum’s galleries.”

Several works from the Silverman gift will be included in the DIA’s forthcoming installation of its modern and contemporary collections, part of the newly reimagined modern and contemporary art wing slated to open in late 2026. These works will be featured as part of the Silvermans’ vision into the museum’s public presentation of contemporary art.