Day 2: Detroit

Day 2: Detroit

Quote of the day:
My mama told me, you better shop around
Oh yeah, you better shop around

Weather: Cool, breezy and sunny (60s) without humidity…perfect

Pics: Fitness Center, the bus, Cranbrook sculpture, a relative on the wall, FLW house, utility box

Fitness center, breakfast of muesli and granola (too sweet), and then off for a packed day. First, THB tries something he’s never done: if you put out a notice by 2am, they leave you a coupon good for $5 in the coffee shop and then they don’t make up your room. Coupon works, and no bed making or fresh towels. A fair exchange since THB makes the bed at home and washes the towels only periodically (say, every few weeks).

First stop of the day: the Frankel house collection (they also have a warehouse tour! Sorry, no pics allowed). Amazing, all agree as it is once again confirmed: THIS is why we come on the Oakland Museum trips. Jam packed with fascinating ceramics (including early work by famous artists, and all artists in depth), great sculpture (Judd, Chamberlain, et al), Anselm Keifer (one of THB’s top five all-time) work including lead “books” and a huge “painting”), work in glass, a giant Di Suvero metal sculpture on the side of the house that looks awesome, a Goldsworthy “melt” picture, and on and on and on….we have two hours of Maxine and Ben leading us around. Over the top!! It is always fascinating to see people who are so passionate about art and live with it every day.

From there we head to Cranbrook Academy of Art, with co-ed elementary school, separate middle schools, a co-ed high school, and then a graduate art school. The director of the museum, Greg, gives us a tour of campus, including a Saarinen house, lunch in the girls’ cafeteria, the MFA graduate work, and we visit with two of the graduate program “professors” (this is a two-year school with no grades or set program, just an intense amount of studio work and group critiques and working artists as profs).

We are trying to connect the dots: at our first stop, DB is asked if we are related to Barry Briskin. At Cranbrook, there is a Barry Briskin on the major donors wall. THB’s mom confirms, the dots can be connected, Barry is a (third?) cousin, grandchild of one of my grandfather’s brothers.

At our last stop of the day, we get a tour of a Frank Lloyd Wright house, given by the nephew and his wife of the original owners. Fascinating, and another example of what most (including THB) would say is a typically unlivable FLW 1800 sq foot house on a great piece of property.

Back to the hotel for a few minutes, and on to dinner at Andiamo’s, in the Renaissance Center along the river. Veal chop and bean soup, part of a profiterole, wine, included.