Whereas the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe is best known for historic revival-style homes, it is also home to notable spectacular modern residences designed by renowned architects Alden B. Dow, Alexander Girard, William Kessler, Paul Rudolph, Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Minoru Yamasaki and others. The tour features three residential masterpieces, including: Alexander Girard’s John and Kathleen McLucas House (1950), William Kessler’s W. Hawkins Ferry House (1963), and Paul Rudolph’s Frank and Anne Parcells House (1970). Current owners share their experiences in owning and preserving these exemplars of Grosse Pointe’s modernist heritage. 

This talk traces the history of an abstract wood mural, created in 1952 by Alexander Girard – one of a circle of modern architects and designers active in Detroit at midcentury -- for his home in Grosse Pointe, MI. Believed lost after the home’s demolition, the more than 200 pieces of the fourteen-feet-high by twenty-feet-wide mural were rediscovered in 2018 and restored in 2023.

Join me at the Detroit Fiber Festival for a day celebrating all things fiber arts! The event will run from 11:00am-5:00pm.

Keynote presentation begins at 3:30pm: Threads: the Life, Career and Legacy of Ruth Adler Schnee

$10 admission

During the mid-century period, Michigan attracted visionary architects, designers and theorists, including Alexander Girard. While much has been written about Girard's vibrantly colored and patterned textiles for Herman Miller, the story of his Detroit period (1937-53) -- encompassing interior and industrial design, exhibition curation and residential architecture -- has not been told. Alexander Girard Architect: Creating Midcentury Modern Masterpieces by Deborah Lubera Kawsky is the first comprehensive study of Girard's exceptional residential projects, specifically those concentrated in the ultra-traditional Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe. Join us to hear Kawsky talk about her book and research.

No registration is required.

July 20 marked the second reveal event for the newly-restored mural, created in 1952 by Alexander Girard for the dining porch of his home at 222 Lothrop in Grosse Pointe, MI.

May 20 marked the official reveal of the newly-restored mural, created in 1952 by Alexander Girard for the dining porch of his home at 222 Lothrop in Grosse Pointe, MI.

How can the legacy of Detroit's past - its "design DNA" - inspire Detroit artists, institutions and civic/business leaders of today and tomorrow?

Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky to explore a watershed moment in Detroit design history: the 1949 For Modern Living exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Centered on the DIA’s Great Hall (totally transformed with nine fully-furnished modern-style rooms), For Modern Living marshalled midcentury masters Alexander Girard, Minoru Yamasaki, Eero Saarinen, Florence Knoll, Charles Eames and others to create a “new ideal of beauty” for the modern era.

More importantly, the exhibition - which focused on modern design for the home and employed civic/corporate partnerships, innovative exhibition displays and new technology -- provides lessons for Detroit's design community today. Dr. Kawsky will end her lecture by exploring designs for the home of today - and tomorrow - with a focus on artists trained and/or currently based in Metro Detroit.

Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky and artists/muralists Hubert Massey and Ijania Cortez for a visual presentation and panel discussion exploring the media, motivations, and messaging behind mural-making in Metro Detroit. Featured artworks, including recent work by Massey and Cortez as well as a newly-rediscovered mural by midcentury designer Alexander Girard (discussion by Girard author/lecturer Kawsky), will provide fascinating visual and conceptual juxtapositions - and hopefully inspire new mural artists/projects/collaborations. Images of murals will be shown on screen but the event will include the display of artworks by Massey and Cortez to demonstrate their artistic process.

How can the legacy of Detroit's past - its "design DNA" - inspire Detroit artists, institutions and civic/business leaders of today and tomorrow?

Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky to explore a watershed moment in Detroit design history: the 1949 For Modern Living exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Centered on the DIA’s Great Hall (totally transformed with nine fully-furnished modern-style rooms), For Modern Living marshalled midcentury masters Alexander Girard, Minoru Yamasaki, Eero Saarinen, Florence Knoll, Charles Eames and others to create a “new ideal of beauty” for the modern era.

More importantly, the exhibition - which focused on modern design for the home and employed civic/corporate partnerships, innovative exhibition displays and new technology -- provides lessons for Detroit's design community today. Dr. Kawsky will end her lecture by exploring designs for the home of today - and tomorrow - with a focus on artists trained and/or currently based in Metro Detroit.

Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky and artists/muralists Hubert Massey and Ijania Cortez for a visual presentation and panel discussion exploring the media, motivations, and messaging behind mural-making in Metro Detroit. Featured artworks, including recent work by Massey and Cortez as well as a newly-rediscovered mural by midcentury designer Alexander Girard (discussion by Girard author/lecturer Kawsky), will provide fascinating visual and conceptual juxtapositions - and hopefully inspire new mural artists/projects/collaborations. Images of murals will be shown on screen but the event will include the display of artworks by Massey and Cortez to demonstrate their artistic process.

Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky for a presentation on the inspiring life and career of Detroit design icon, Ruth Adler Schnee, with a focus on her legacy as a Jewish woman in the field of design. Schnee, who recently celebrated her 99th birthday, is best known for her boldly-designed textiles and architectural interiors and for the ground-breaking Adler/Schnee retail store, which brought modern design to Detroit.

The registration info will be available next week.

Visit Design Core Detroit’s Eventbrite for more information and to REGISTER. The event is FREE with limited space.

Visit this the Albert Kahn exhibition at the Detroit Historical Museum from April through June.

On Sunday, May 15th I will be part of a panel discussion located in the museum’s auditorium about Kahn’s legacy and how his work has made an impact on the city of Detroit.

Stick around after the event for tours of the Albert Kahn exhibit.

Click here for more information and to REGISTER FOR THE PANEL. Admission is FREE but space is limited.

How can art/artists act as instruments of social justice?

This talk, which complements the exhibition "Steps toward Justice," will focus on Artis Lane's images of Civil Rights icons/issues, including Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and Nelson Mandela. It will also explore the deeper parallels between Lane's art and her own inspiring life story.

2:00PM 3:00PM at Collected Detroit

This exhibition features multimedia imagery of Rosa Parks - from paintings, sculptures, drawings, historic photographs to a Presidential medal - by renowned 94-year-old artist Artis Lane, who was a close friend of the Civil Rights icon and whose bronze bust of Parks was chosen for President Biden's Oval Office. Experiential activities in the gallery will allow viewers to engage with social justice issues, past and present.

6:00PM - 9:00PM at Collected Detroit

Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky to explore the inspiring life and art of Artis Lane, who studied Painting at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1951 and was presented with an Honorary MFA from CAA in 2021.

Free admission: REGISTRATION REQUIRED

De Salle Auditorium Cranbrook Art Museum

Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky for a presentation on the inspiring life and career of Detroit design icon, Ruth Adler Schnee, with a focus on her legacy as a Jewish woman in the field of design.

How can the legacy of Detroit's past- its "design DNA-" inspire Detroit artists, institutions and civic leaders of today and tomorrow? Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky to explore a watershed moment in Detroit design history: the 1949 For Modern Living exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this fall.