Half a century ago, the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) enchanted television viewers in metro Detroit and statewide with a lively, choreographed promotional spot set to the tune of “(You Gotta Have) Heart” from the musical Damn Yankees.
Southfield’s W.B. Doner & Co. agency spent two days at the DIA filming the commercial, enlisting the talents of museum staffers, volunteers, and Detroit music and theater performers — 80 in all, to belt out the revised lyrics “You gotta have art / all you really need is art” while showcasing many of the institute’s most famous masterpieces.
Not only was the production hailed as possibly the first-ever singing and dancing TV commercial produced by a U.S. art museum, but many Detroiters also remember it fondly to this day. And with its 50th anniversary arriving in 2026, DIA Director of Visual Media Adam Kosberg decided it was the perfect time to create a sequel.
Kosberg came to the DIA three years ago from New York. He previously won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for his work as an associate producer on 2003’s The Fog of War. The film chronicled the life and career of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
“When I started here I would introduce myself, and one person after another would ask, ‘Have you seen ‘You Gotta Have Art?’” he remembers. “I found this very low-grade quality copy on YouTube, and I was immediately taken with it.
“People who didn’t work in the museum would tell me, ‘You know, I still sing or hum that tune to this day. You should recreate it.’ I thought, ‘You know, that’s not a bad idea.’”
The Making of the New “You Gotta Love Art”
After securing approval and funding from DIA Director Salvador Salort-Pons, pre-production for “You Gotta Have Art 2” took nearly a year. Kosberg reproduced the original shot for shot, with 200 museum employees, performers from the Wayne State University Department of Theatre and Dance, the Hardcore Detroit Jits Dancers troupe, and local artists. The museum’s greatest hits — works by Rembrandt, Rodin, and Van Gogh, Alexander Calder’s massive Young Woman and Her Suitors and of course, Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals, to name but a few — are showcased as well. And Detroit music icons Alvin Waddles and Marion Hayden composed a new Motown-influenced arrangement for the project.
The video was released in December across the DIA’s social media channels, on YouTube and in the museum. TV someday? Stay tuned.
As you might expect, not many people who appeared in the original version were available for the remake. But local artists Allie McGhee and Carole Harris were and reprised their 1976 cameos precisely. Only two DIA employees were still at the museum to take part in the musical’s golden anniversary. One is Barbara Heller, now the director and conservator of special projects.
“It’s so funny, because once it got posted I started getting emails and texts from friends, ‘I saw you!’” Heller relates. “It was fun and invigorating, but also that sense of belonging, you know. This is my museum, our museum. This is us.”
Who’s Who in the New Video
Detroit Artists in the Museum’s collection:
- Shirley Woodson
- Allie McGhee
- Carole Harris
- Mario Moore
- Tylonn Sawyer
- Susan Goethals Campbell
Other Detroit Artists not in the collection:
- Jamea Richmond-Edwards
- Senghor Reid
- Romeo Okwara
- Sabrina Nelson
Anishinaabe Exhibition Artists:
- Konstance Patton
- David Dominic
Additional cast and performers:
- Hardcore Detroit Jits Dancers
- Wayne State Department of Theatre and Dance Performers
- Over 200 museum employees participated.
- A new Motown-influenced arrangement by Marion Hayden and Alvin Waddles.
And Where to Find A Few of Them:
0:05 – In front of The Council by Mario Moore – features Mario Moore and Detroit artists Romeo Okwara, Sabrina Nelson, and Jamea Richmond-Edwards.
0:18 – Outside of the museum with The Thinker by Auguste Rodin – features Detroit artists Tylonn Sawyer and Susan Goethals Campbell, and Anishinaabe artists Konstance Patton and David Dominic.
0:39 – Inside the newly reinstalled African American Art galleries – features Detroit artists Allie McGhee and Carole Harris, both of whom have works featured in the galleries.
0:48 – In front of Shield of the Nile No. 2 by Shirley Woodson – features Detroit artists Shirley Woodson and Senghor Reid (Woodson’s son).
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