George Nelson Retrospective at Cranbrook Art Museum | Contract Magazine

On June 16, the first comprehensive retrospective of the work of George Nelson opened at the Cranbrook Art Museum, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. "George Nelson: Architect | Writer | Designer | Teacher" first opened in Germany in September of 2008 at the Vitra Design Museum, marking what would have the American designer's 100th birthday. The exhibition then traveled to Spain before landing state-side at the Oklahoma Art Center in the winter of 2011, moving along to San Antonio and Seattle before arriving at the legendary design institution's newly renovated gallery space in Michigan (Contract, June 2012). Greg Wittkopp, director of the Cranbrook Art Museum, experienced the exhibition in its first incarnation in Germany and knew immediately it would fit well in Michigan. "People come to Cranbrook to see this exhibit, and it just feels at home here," he recently told Contract. "We have a great space for work that deals with ...

New Cranbrook Art Museum Lighting System Featured in Architectural Lighting Magazine

The innovative new lighting system on display at the renovated Cranbrook Art Museum is praised as a restoration of Eliel Saarinen’s original vision for the space in the June issue of Architectural Lighting magazine. The SmithGroupJJR oversaw the project, referencing Saarinen’s blueprints and construction documents to install lighting in the coffered ceilings that is in line with Saarinen’s original design to make the ceiling seem “lit from within.” SmithGroupJJR installed flexible, state-of-the art LED lighting, keeping with Saarinen’s tradition of showcasing a lighting system ahead of its time.

“The Anchor Art Museums in and of Detroit” | Art21

Because of its solid foundation, I am confident that Detroit will have a renaissance in the arts (among other fields). This confidence springs from a community of art enthusiasts who invested heavily in cultural institutions. Images of abandoned buildings steal a lot of the headlines, but the media often fails to balance those images with images of the gilded and ornate buildings that house Detroit’s cultural treasures: The Michigan Opera House, The Gem Theater, The Masonic Temple, The Fisher Theater, the Fox Theatre, and The Detroit Institute of Arts, among many others. These institutions are as good as or better than they have ever been. Why do cultural institutions thrive in a city that has so many hurdles? Simply put, because of a community that values culture.  Another benefit of Detroit’s strong foundation is the fact that these bedrock institutions educate and inspire future generations of artists and patrons.  There are numerous ...

The Detroit News Highlights George Nelson’s Contributions to American Design

The Detroit News explores the interesting story behind George Nelson’s journey from architect and journalist to iconic American designer. The vision of the Herman Miller Furniture Company and the talents of Nelson ultimately changed design as we know it. "George Nelson: Architect / Writer / Designer / Teacher" makes it’s final stop at Cranbrook through October 14 as part of its American tour.

The Mod Man | Hour Detroit

If you’ve ever kicked back in your family room, maybe perched in a midcentury Coconut Chair and reading under a Bubble Lamp, you’ve got designer and architect George Nelson to thank. The Hartford, Conn.-born Nelson (1908-86) came up with the idea of the family room in his 1945 book Tomorrow’s House, and was responsible for creating some of the most recognizable postwar designs in furniture and lighting for home and office while serving as design director for the Herman Miller furniture company in Zeeland, Mich., and also as head of his own studio, George Nelson Associates Inc. In addition to furniture, Nelson also designed dishes, flatware, typewriters, weathervanes, tiles, and rugs. This master of modernism is being saluted by the Cranbrook Art Museum in the exhibit George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher, on view through Oct. 14. Although he didn’t work at Cranbrook, Nelson was well-acquainted with some of the titans who ...

“No show this summer brings more smiles,” says the Detroit Free Press

"New exhibitions ably display the breadth and range of art in metro Detroit"

The New Collections Wing Featured on the Cover of Contract Magazine

“GEORGE NELSON: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher”

Exhibition through Sunday, October 14, 2012 George Nelson is considered one of the most influential figures in American design during the second half of the twentieth century. Operating from the western side of Michigan as Design Director at the Zeeland-based furniture manufacturer Herman Miller for more than twenty years, Nelson had his sights firmly focused on Cranbrook, which was also playing a defining role in the development of Modernism. Organized by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, “George Nelson: Architect/ Writer/ Designer Teacher" is the first comprehensive retrospective of Nelson’s work. It has been touring in Europe and most recently in the United States at the Bellevue Art Museum in Seattle. Cranbrook is the final stop in the US tour and the last opportunity to see this major exhibition before the work returns to Germany. More than 120 three-dimensional objects including examples of chairs, benches, desks, cabinets, lamps, and clocks, as well as ...

Latest Reviews of “GEORGE NELSON: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher”

"Influential designer Nelson's works in Cranbrook spotlight," Khristi Zimmeth, Detroit News Columnist"George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher' Exhibit Shows Varied Work Of Modernist," Kate Abbey-Lambertz, HuffPost Detroit, Associate Editor Click here for the article."George Nelson Returns to Cranbrook," Architects and Artisans Click here for the article."Herman Miller's legendary designer George Nelson featured in exhibition at Cranbrook Art Museum," Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk, MLIVE, Arts Writer Click here for the article.

“2012 Graduate Degree Exhibition of Cranbrook Academy of Art”

Saturday April 21 Through Sunday, May 13, 2012Cranbrook Academy of Art is delighted to present its annual exhibition of work by the 2012 class of Masters of Fine Arts and Masters of Architecture students in the newly renovated galleries of Cranbrook Art Museum. The Academy’s program is interdisciplinary in orientation, representing the crossing and merging of mediums as well as the investigation and use of content from diverse areas of thought. The exhibition of these 79 emerging artists reflects the culmination of their time spent at the Academy and ranges from painting and sculpture to video, photography and installation.