March 6 | 6:00 pm

The public is invited to participate in a FREE seminar at Cranbrook Institute of Science exploring our local connection to the global water pollution problem. Guests will learn about water clean-up programs from local watershed organizations and have the chance to see Plastic Waters, an exhibition highlighted by plastic artifacts found in the world's oceans. The evening will conclude with An Ecological Perspective on Microplastics in the Great Lakes, a lecture by Jennifer Daley, Researcher with the University of Michigan - SNRE. March 6 is a Free First Friday so admission to the Institute and the Water Forum are both free.

March 8 | 3:00 pm 

(with a Concert Preview at 2:15 pm)

Let's take apart Milhaud's Creation of the World and see what we find! Conductor H. Robert Reynolds of Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings (DCWS) will lead the ensemble through sections of Milhaud's work as previously rehearsed by the ensemble. Then, Reynolds will present the audience with choices on a number of musical aspects including speed, tone, or volume. Audience members will also be encouraged to ask questions and share ideas! In addition to the Milhaud, the concert will include a world premiere by DCWS' young composer-in-residence, Theo Chandler. The Museum will remain open after the performance to allow attendees to view the exhibitions. If you are a Cranbrook ArtMember, please call Kim Larsen at 248 645.3319 for ticket information. For all others, please contact the DCWS Box Office at 248 559.2095. 

March 12 | 7:00 pm (6:30 pm cash bar)

The Institute's popular lecture series in partnership with The Nature Conservancy continues with Anatomy of an Algal Bloom. Nature Conservancy scientist Carrie Vollmer-Sanders will look at the factors involved in the toxic algae blooms on Lake Erie, and what we can do to help prevent them in the future. The series will feature three more lectures. Please note the February lecture cancelled due to the weather has been rescheduled for June 11. Click here for more information

Exhibition Dates
March 14 - November 29, 2015

ArtMembers' Opening Reception: 

March 13 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Cranbrook's Bent, Cast, & Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia is the first museum exhibition devoted to Harry Bertoia's designs for jewelry. The former Cranbrook Academy of Art student and metalsmithing instructor has received international acclaim for his metal furniture and sculpture, but less attention for his jewelry. The objects in this exhibition highlight Bertoia's investigations of form, dimension, and material on a concentrated and bankable scale-establishing him as a pioneer of the American Studio Jewelry Movement and a master of elevating fashionable adornment to objet d'art. Celia Bertoia, daughter of Harry Bertoia, will deliver a lecture at the ArtMembers' Opening Reception. 

Click here for more information.

March 15 | 12:00 - 4:00 pm
 

A favorite rite of spring is presented to the public at the Institute's 41st Annual Maple Festival. In addition to maple-themed snacks, guests are invited to learn about the science of maple syrup production, listen to the story of sugaring in Colonial North America, taste the pure sweetness of homemade maple candy, and more. Admission is $18 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Members receive a $3 discount per ticket. To register, call us at 248 645.3143, stop at the Visitor's Desk during your next visit or register online.

March 22 | 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Cranbrook Institute of Science continues its Cranbrook Cares program in partnership with Kids Kicking Cancer to give children and families who are dealing with cancer a free day at the museum. After a "deep cleaning" of the Institute the evening before every event to minimize potential exposure to germs, the Institute of Science offers a private visit for young cancer patients, their families, and close friends. Each experience gives exclusive use of the museum, free admission and all experiences such as planetarium shows, special tours and events, transportation if necessary, and no-cost lunches. If you know a family who might benefit from this program, please visit kidskickingcancer.org.  

April 6-10

Spring Break Art Days at Cranbrook Art Museum features five day-long workshops for students in grades two through seven, each day focusing on a new theme. Each workshop draws inspiration from the Museum's collection. Students go into the Museum Vaults to see artwork firsthand. Teaching artists from Cranbrook Academy of Art guide students as they create and explore art, architecture, and design using Cranbrook's amazing collections! All art supplies and materials are included with program registration. Students must bring a lunch. Limited need-based scholarships are available. 

Register here! 

April 17 & May 1 | 10:45 am - 1:00 pm

Tour the first floor of Cranbrook House, the oldest manor home in metro-Detroit and a National Historic Landmark. Formerly the estate of Cranbrook founders

George and Ellen Booth, the house was designed in the Arts & Crafts Style by noted Detroit architect Albert Kahn in 1908. On the tour, guests will view beautiful
furnishings, tapestries, paintings by world famous artists, and other Booth treasures. Following the tour, guests will be treated to a box lunch and the sounds of the recently restored Steinway Piano during a lunchtime piano performance in Cranbrook House library. Click here for more info or to register for April 17, or click here to register for May 1. 

STUDIO

April 25 | 6:30 pm

OPEN(STUDIOS)

April 26 | 1:00 - 5:00 pm

STUDIO is the one-of-a-kind fundraiser that gives you the opportunity to enjoy an intimate dinner in Cranbrook Academy of Art's private studio spaces. Each of the Academy's 10 departments will welcome a small group to enjoy dinner with the department's Artist-in-Residence and current second-year students. Space is limited. Visit our website for details and ticket information. All proceeds benefit Academy scholarships.

OPEN(STUDIOS) happens only once a year. Save the date for the annual event where we throw open the doors to our private studios and invite the public inside. Student artists and faculty from each of the Academy's 10 departments will be on hand to discuss their work and select pieces of student art will be for sale.