Design curator Andrew Blauvelt has been appointed director of the Cranbrook Art Museum in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills.
Blauvelt joins the institution from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he has worked since 1998 and currently holds the title of senior curator for design, research and publishing.
The Cranbrook Museum, part of the Cranbrook Art Academy, is housed in an Eliel Saarinen-designed building completed in 1942 – part of the Finnish architect's campus that he began designing in 1928. The school offers graduate education in art, design, and architecture.
The studio-based school counts Eliel's son Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Florence Knoll among its alumni. Blauvelt graduated with a master of fine arts (MFA) in design from the school in 1988.
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"I'm thrilled to return to Cranbrook at such an exciting time not only for the Art Museum and Academy of Art, but also for the city of Detroit and the region," said Blauvelt. "I'm particularly delighted to be able to work in close proximity with the artists, designers, and architects at Cranbrook and look forward to being part of Detroit's vibrant arts scene and rich creative community."
At the Walker, one of the most significant modern and contemporary art museums in the US, Blauvelt has overseen the institution's brand identity and served in a number of senior administrative roles.
He has also curated a number of exhibitions including Strangely Familiar: Design and Everyday Life, Some Assembly Required: Contemporary Prefabricated Houses, and Graphic Design: Now in Production. His latest exhibition is titled Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia.
Blauvelt received the National Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in 2009 for Institutional and Corporate Achievement.