Cranbrook Art Museum is a museum of contemporary art with a permanent collection including works by Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Maija Grotell and Carl Milles, as well as Robert Motherwell, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Completed in 1942 under the direction of world renowned architect Eliel Saarinen, the museum is housed in the same building as the Cranbrook Academy of Art. The Museum closed in 2009 for a two-year renovation and expansion. The museum also offers tours of Saarninen House which was partially restored in 1977. The remaining areas of the house were completed between 1988 and 1995. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Sculptor Carl Milles' numerous works in Metro Detroit include those at Cranbrook Educational Community such as Mermaids & Tritons Fountain (1930), Sven Hedin on a Camel (1932), Jonah and the Whale Fountain {1932}, Orpheus Fountain (1936), and the Spirit of Transportation (1952) currently in Cobo Center.
The newly-expanded museum opened in November 2011 after two-years of construction. The project restored aspects of the original building designed by Saarinen, made needed structural repairs, replaced windows, and upgraded mechanical systems. A new Collections and Education Wing added 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) of storage and classroom space. Based on an open storage plan, the new wing is open to visitors by guided tour, and allows the museum's entire collection to be seen.
Read more about this topic: Cranbrook Educational Community
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