Member Travel: Michigan Road Trip

Grand Rapids, East Lansing, and Detroit (Map)

Register by 8/16 and make a $1,500 deposit here.

The Society for Contemporary Art is pleased to announce an art and architecture-filled road trip to Grand Rapids, East Lansing, and Detroit. Join your fellow SCA members for a wonderful long weekend highlighting the rich culture of Michigan. Throughout our time together, select curators and collectors will lead our group in visiting exciting museums and architectural spaces, as well as exclusive artist studios and private collections. Members will also have the opportunity to commune and dine at some of the best bars and restaurants as we traverse the beautiful state of Michigan.

Dates: Thursday, September 19th - Sunday, September 22nd, 2024 (4 days / 3 nights)

Price: Single Occupancy $2,950 per person and Double Occupancy $2,250 per person

Required Donation to Society for Contemporary Art: $500, tax deductible

Cancellation Policy:

  • Cancellations after August 1 and before August 16 will forfeit $1,500 deposit unless another participant is found.
  • Cancellations after August 16 will forfeit the full cost of the trip unless another participant is found.

Included:

  • 3 nights accommodations at JW Marriott Grand Rapids and Shinola Hotel Detroit
  • Private luxury ground transportation departing from the Art Institute of Chicago, to all activities included in the itinerary, and returning to the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Exclusive program of activities including special access to and private guided tours of museums, architectural sites, and private collections
  • All meals during the trip, with some being at the most sought-after restaurants

Not included:

  • Transportation to the Art Institute of Chicago at commencement and from the Art Institute of Chicago at completion
  • Personal items and expenses, such as telephone, laundry, and dry cleaning, minibar, hotel incidentals, etc.

ITINERARY (Subject to change):


Thursday 19 September
8:00 AM Meet at Art Institute Chicago (230 S. Columbus Dr.)
8:30 AM (CDT) Bus departs to Grand Rapids / box lunch on bus
1:00 - 4:00 PM (EDT) Arrive Meijer Gardens
Tour David Smith exhibition and other collections
New entry building by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien
4:00 PM Bus departs to Synagogue
4:15 - 4:45 PM Synagogue: Temple Emanuel by Architect Eric Mendelsohn
Mural by Lucienne Bloch
5:00 - 5:30 PM Cocktail Reception and Orientation / Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM)
5:30 - 7:00 PM ArtPrize Crawl (two or three stops)
7:00 PM Walk to hotel check-in
8:00 - 9:00 PM Dinner at hotel: Margaux

Friday 20 September
7:30 AM Breakfast on own at hotel
8:00 AM Hotel Check-out
8:30 AM Bus departs to East Lansing
10:00 - 10:30 AM Tour Broad Art Museum
10:30 AM Bus departs to Frankel Collection / box lunch on bus
12:30 - 2:00 PM Tour Maxine and Stuart Frankel Collection
2:00 PM Bus departs to Detroit / snack on bus
3:00 - 5:00 PM Tour Michigan Central Station + Book Depository building
5:00 PM Bus departs to hotel
5:30 PM Hotel Check-in
6:30 PM Bus departs hotel to Core City
6:45 - 7:15 PM Tour Core City: Caterpillar, True North
7:15 - 7:45 PM Drinks: Puma
7:45 - 9:30 PM Dinner: Barda

Saturday 21 September
8:00 AM Breakfast on own (included in room rate)
9:00 AM Walk to Library Street Collective Gallery / James Benjamin Franklin
9:45 AM Bus departs hotel to DIA
10:00 - 11:00 AM Detroit Institute of Arts
Diego Rivera Murals
Tiff Massey exhibition
11:00 AM Bus departs to Hamtramck
11:15 AM Arrive in Hamtramck
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM Visit Beverly Fishman studio
12:00 - 1:00 PM Lunch: Polish Village
1:30 - 3:30 PM Visit artist studios / galleries
1:30 - 2:00 PM Chris Schanck Studio
2:30 - 3:15 PM Wasserman Projects
4:00 - 5:00 PM Curis House, Grosse Pointe
5:30 - 6:30 PM Little Village Tour + Refreshments at Shepherd + Modern Ancient Brown Foundation (McArthur Binion)
6:45 PM Bus drop off at hotel
7:00 PM Walk to dinner
7:30 - 10:00 PM Dinner: The Apparatus Room
10:00 PM Walk back to hotel

Sunday 22 September
8:30 AM Breakfast on own at hotel (included in room rate)
9:30 AM Depart for Lafayette Park
9:45 - 10:15 AM Lafayette Park / Mies van de Rohe
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Michele and Mitchell Bleznak House Tour, Birmingham, MI
12:00 - 1:00 PM Brunch / Home of Marc and Emily Schwartz, Birmingham, MI
Bus departs to Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills
1:30 - 3:00 PM Saarinen House Tour
3:00 - 4:00 PM Cranbrook Art Academy + Art Museum
Cuban Furniture Show tour with curator and director
Open Storage and Archives
Academy studios
4:00 - 5:00 PM Kingswood School Tour
5:00 PM (EDT) Bus departs to Chicago / box dinner on bus
8:00 PM (CDT) Arrive in Chicago

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