Executive Committee Meeting 10-15-24

President's Report

Page 48 of 95

EXPLORE DETROIT

collection of 7,500 objects, stored in The Vault (guided tour Fri. 1pm, by appt. only) and several rooms where between eight and ten exhibitions of modern or contemporary art are held each year. In April–May, the work of the current crop of students goes on show. Several displays also exhibit select pieces from the permanent collections. Saarinen House aa Guided tour only (see calendar on website) - closed Dec.-Apr. - included in the admission to the Cranbrook Art Museum. In 1927, Eliel Saarinen designed this house at the heart of the art academy campus for his family. He lived and worked there until the 1950s. A veritable manifesto of the Arts & Crafts style he so cherished, the property is the epitome of harmony and elegance, with its furniture designed by the architect himself, as well as his son Eero (1910–1961), and the textiles by his wife Loja . Influenced by Swedish traditions, she was one of the first artists to disseminate Scandinavian design in the US and oversaw the academy's textile department. Also note the fireplace decorated with Pewabic tiles and the recurring pattern

of the peacock, the only decorative element: this most beautiful of birds was chosen in reference to the name of Cranbrook, derived from “crane”, evoked by the initial syllable. Cranbrook Institute of Sciences a science.cranbrook.edu – 10am-5pm (Fri. 10pm), Sun. 12pm-4pm - closed Mon.-Tue. - $14 (child $10.50), free upon pre-registration on the third Thu. of the month from 5pm to 8pm and the first Fri. of the month. An inveterate collector, George G. Booth also acquired minerals that form the basis of this scientific museum, and which represent one of the country’s top five collections in this field (the showcase on the Great Lakes is fascinating). The museum also boasts a rich collection of plants (58,000 specimens), some of which can be seen in the gardens during the season. An anthropology gallery presents the activities of humankind across different continents. Fossils, dioramas, physics experiments, planetarium, observatory (accessible Fridays and the first Sunday of the month depending on the weather) complete this enlightening visit.

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A Modern Laboratory for Design You need only take a look at the list of former students or artists in residence at the Cranbrook Academy of Art to grasp how significant the establishment was in the development of design in the second half of the 20th century. An active hub of Mid-Century Modern, influenced by the international style and Bauhaus, Cranbrook boasts an alumni that included Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll (treated as the third child of the Saarinens), Ruth Adler Schnee and Jack Lenor Larsen, as well as Eero Saarinen and his sister Pipsa, who were, like their parents Eliel and Loja, renowned designers and architects.

Cranbrook Gardens. PQK/Shutterstock