Greetings Cranbrook Friends, 

 

Summer at Cranbrook is a time for celebration and fun! We celebrate our graduating students completing one journey and moving out into the world to embark on new adventures, and our many program areas celebrate the arrival of the summer tour and camp season. Personally, I think our gardens and grounds have never looked better and I hope, like me, you plan to spend time this summer walking or driving the campus just for the pure enjoyment of being in such a beautiful place. Summertime is truly special at Cranbrook.

 

To our graduating students, congratulations! I wish you the best as you transition into new schools, new jobs, and new locations. We are so proud of your accomplishments at Cranbrook and I know each of you will continue to give us reason to celebrate. As someone once said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." Just remember to live with purpose and integrity, create with passion, explore with curiosity, and strive for excellence. I like to think that each graduating student is a reflection of Cranbrook's mission realized, truly something worth celebrating. You now join the ranks of our esteemed alumni around the world. We hope you will keep Cranbrook in your hearts and minds always and please know that you are welcome back at Cranbrook anytime!

 

Speaking of alumni and graduates creating with passion, Nick Cave, a 1989 Cranbrook Academy of Art graduate, opens his first solo exhibition Nick Cave: Here Hear at Cranbrook Art Museum with a special ArtMembers' Opening Reception on June 19, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The exhibition opens to the public on June 20 and will remain on view until October 11, 2015. This highly anticipated 7,000 square-foot exhibition of soundsuits, recent sculptures, and newly commissioned artworks offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This prominent exhibition is one of the most exciting and ambitious projects ever offered at the Art Museum. Find time to visit and I promise you won't be disappointed.    

 

For those of you with children or grandchildren in your lives, I encourage you to consider a summer camp at Cranbrook. Between Cranbrook Art Museum and Summer Art Institute, Cranbrook Institute of Science and Cranbrook Schools, we offer some of the best summer programs in our region and have something for all ages and interests. Whether it's designing a dream house, learning the art of 3D printing, the science of survival, or building a robot, camp at Cranbrook is the solution for a summertime full of rewarding experiences and just plain fun! I urge you to act quickly though, as Cranbrook's camps tend to sell out. Please see our website for more details and registration information. 

 

As I mentioned in my previous letter, admission to the Cranbrook gardens is free for the 2015 tour season. I am grateful to sponsors PNC Bank, Roberts Restaurant Group and Meijer for making this possible. On June 13, 

I hope you will discover the benefits of joining Cranbrook House and Gardens Auxiliary at Membership in Bloom and get outside for fun activities during National Get Outdoors Day. Plus, yoga lovers rejoice! A new, ten-session long 

Yoga in the Gardens program is coming June 20. Check out Cranbrook House and Gardens website or social media pages for updates and reservations. I can't think of a more stunning outdoor setting for yoga than Cranbrook!

 

As a music fan, I'm particularly excited that Cranbrook is hosting the Leonard Bernstein & Friends Piano Concert on June 7 featuring Detroit native James Tocco. The concert is being put on by Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research and Cranbrook House and Gardens Auxiliary in celebration of the Auxiliary's restoration of the Cranbrook House Steinway piano. Seating is limited, so act fast! Register on the House and Gardens website.

 

Finally, if you're in the market for some interesting reading material this summer and beyond, consider subscribing to the Cranbrook Kitchen Sink blog. Cranbrook archivists and other contributors do an exceptional job of making regular postings that highlight the history and culture of our campus. Again, you will find more information on our website.

 

There is always so much to celebrate and do at Cranbrook, much more than can 

possibly be expressed in my letters. Exploring artistic innovations, making scientific discoveries, wandering the gardens...nothing compares to experiencing our historic community in person. Watch for details later this summer as the Institute of Science and Organization for Bat Conservation host Cranbrook's first ever "BioBlitz" on 

August 5 and 6. This free 24-hour event gets everybody outside to experience nature. Science and art activities, live animal programs and lectures will teach you all about backyard wildlife and inspire you to explore nature right outside your door. 

 

I hope to see each of you enjoying the grounds and our programs over the next few months. Above all, I hope you will find time to relax with your families and let life slow down a bit over the summer months. Cranbrook in the summer is a perfect setting to help make that happen. Please consider this my personal invitation. 

 

Enjoy your summer, be safe, and do stop by!  

 

Sincerely,

  

 

 

 

 

Dominic A. DiMarco, President

Cranbrook Educational Community

248.645.3100

[email protected]

www.cranbrook.edu 

 

P.S. Be sure to keep in touch with Cranbrook this summer and all year round on our social media pages and by using #VisitCranbrook.