Unearth the celebrated legacies that make Detroit a true leader in American ingenuity and creativity.
Immerse yourself in innovative art and design in the birthplace of the modern American auto industry. Relive Detroit’s storied past with special access to private collections and an in-depth look at the city’s historical landmarks. Discover the contributions of American pioneer Henry Ford, and take a private tour of the home of Eliel Saarinen, a celebrated architect with a flair for Art Deco design. Gather around some of the Detroit Institute of Art’s masterpieces for a closer look and in-depth discussion led by museum educator Rika Burnham.
Highlights
- Participate in sustained close-looking sessions led by museum educator Rika Burnham at the internationally acclaimed Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), with guided discussions focused on one key artwork each day.
- Explore great works of art, including Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals at the DIA, as well as the city that houses them.
- Take a private tour of the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, the family estate designed by Albert Kahn in the style of a Cotswold village.
- Join a curator behind the scenes inside the Cranbrook Art Museum and its Collections Wing, where you’ll see works by Warhol, Stella, Motherwell, and Bertoia in climate-controlled vaults few visitors ever enter.
- Tour the Saarinen House, Eliel Saarinen’s exquisitely crafted residence and studio at the Cranbrook campus, where every detail—from the barrel-vaulted ceilings to Loja Saarinen’s woven textiles—reflects the ideals of American modernism.
- Walk with a curator through the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), a former car dealership that has been ingeniously transformed into Detroit’s leading contemporary art space.
- Meet an expert guide at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, the oldest purpose-built auto factory open to the public, to explore Henry Ford’s office, dozens of rare automobiles, and the preserved space where the Model T was secretly designed.
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