Masterpiece(s): The Rediscovery of a Midcentury Mural by Alexander Girard
Thursday, May 7, 1:15-2:30pm
This fascinating talk traces the history of an abstract wood mural, created in 1952 by midcentury architect and designer Alexander Girard, one of a circle of modern architects and designers active in Detroit at midcentury. The mural, created for the designer's own home in Grosse Pointe, MI, was believed lost after the home’s demolition. However, the more than 200 pieces of the fourteen-feet-high by twenty-feet-wide mural were rediscovered in 2018 and restored in 2023.
The amazing story of the mural's creation, preservation, and conservation will be told by art historian and Docomomo MI board president Deborah Lubera Kawsky, Ph.D., and conservator Ron Koenig of Building Arts & Conservation.
Photos and Photo Credits:
Photo/Attachment #1: Alexander Girard Mural in Situ, Girard Residence, 222 Lothrop Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI. ©Ezra Stoller/Esto
Photo/Attachment #2: Conservator Ron Koenig with Girard Mural Components. Photo Credit: Robert R. Lubera
Grosse Pointe Modern: Exploring Three Residential Masterpieces
Friday, May 8, 8-11:45am
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 will share their experiences in owning and preserving these exemplars of Grosse Pointe’s modernist heritage.
The tour is organized by DOCOMOMO-US/MI and led by DOCOMOMO MI board president, Deborah Lubera Kawsky.
Image Credits:
Photo/Attachment #3: W. Hawkins Ferry House Photo Credit: James Haefner
Photo/Attachment #4: John and Kathleen McLucas House Photo Credit: Robert R. Lubera
Photo/Attachment #5: Frank and Anne Parcells House Photo Credit: Brian Conway
Conference Registration:
Registration for the tour—and other talks and events—is possible through the MHPN conference website.
For the conference website:
https://www.mhpn.org/conference/
To register for individual events:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/-lZvkUPKyTeWNrXfiDUo/
**Please note that attendees CAN just register for the tour without having to register for the entire day's conference.
Tour Frank Lloyd Wright's Affleck House & Lawrence Tech Campus with DocomomoMI!
Saturday May 16, 12:30-5:30pm
We are thrilled to announce a collaboration with LTU! Join us on Saturday, May 16th, for our annual Docomomo MI member meeting and reception—followed by guided tours of LTU and the Affleck House!
Docomomo Michigan invites you to join us for a special tour of the architecture of Lawrence Technological University guided by Dr. Dale Allen Gyure, professor of Architecture. Lawrence Tech’s Southfield campus features a range of mid-century modernist architecture designed or co-designed by Earl W. Pellerin, the first head of architecture at LTU, as well as award-winning designs by Redstone and Associates, Gwathmey Siegel and Associates (2001), Harley Ellis Deveraux, Morphosis, and INFORM.
Following the campus tour, registered participants** will be taken by bus to Bloomfield Hills to visit the Gregor and Elizabeth Affleck House (1941), an exceptional early Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and owned by LTU since 1978.
Lawrence Technological University
21000 West 10 Mile Road
Southfield, MI 48075
Saturday, May 16, 12:30-5:30 pm
We’re excited to see you there! Follow the Eventbrite link to register.
**Please note: Tickets are required for the Affleck House tour, and registration is limited—reserve your spot now!
All are welcome to attend the reception, annual meeting, and LTU tour. No registration or fee is required, but it does not include the Affleck House tour, which requires a reserved ticket.
Registration via Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1986782982383/preview/?aff=oddtdtcreator
