2024

  • March

    Communication Survey - We need your input

    Alumni - your input matters and will help the help us deliver the information you want, the way you want it!

    In partnership with the Office of Communication, the Cranbrook Schools Alumni Office has put together a short survey about your preferences in communications from the school. We hope to learn more about alumni interests and the ways and frequencies in which you prefer to receive information.

    We hope to hear from as many alumni as possible, with participants from across a range of graduation years. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete. We thank you in advance for your participation. Your support in spreading word of the survey to fellow alumni through text, email or class pages is also appreciated.
     
    Click here to complete the survey, which closes on April 1. You can also past the following link into your browser: https://bit.ly/ckCommSurvey2024
     

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  • Cranbrook Schools Alumni gather in Washington, D.C.

    On Thursday, March 7th, alumni currently living in the Washington, D.C. regional alumni network gathered for a wonderful afternoon and evening of fun. To kick things off, the group enjoyed a private architecture tour of the East Building at the National Gallery of Art, led by docent and Kingswood alumna Sheridan Strickland '66. Following the tour, alumni gathered at Succotash for food, drinks and networking. Special guest Dr. Jeff Suzik provided updates from happenings back on campus. It was exciting to see alumni reuniting with friends and making new connections.
     
    If you missed this one, we will be sure to catch you at the next one! If you’re interested in becoming more involved in the Washington, D.C. CRAN community, please reach out to Mackenzie Friedman at mfriedman@cranbrook.edu.  
    To view photos from the event, click here.

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  • Join us in Portland April 13

    Cranbrook is headed to Portland! Local resident and Portland CRAN representative, Chase Brand ’79 has been a driving force in helping to organize an upcoming Cranbrook community event happening on Saturday, April 13. Alumni are invited for a memorable afternoon and evening with two opportunities to connect with fellow Cranbrook community in Portland. The afternoon will begin with optional private tours of the Portland Japanese Garden, arranged by the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research. Following the tour, all are invited to a Cranbrook reception at Breakside Brewery (Slabtown Location) hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations. The reception will take place from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and guests can enjoy hors d'oeuvres and beers by Breakside’s acclaimed brewmaster and CK alumnus Ben Edmunds ’00.
     
    We asked Chase his take on the day-of activities planned, and he said,
     
    “If anyone in Portland has not been to the recently expanded and enlarged Portland Japanese Garden you are in for a treat. Getting an inside look with Sada will make it an even more special experience. You may find yourself going back again in the future to enjoy the garden for its’ exquisite beauty and sense of peace and tranquility. Going to Breakside Brewery in the Slabtown section of Portland speaks for itself. Of course, one of Portland’s best breweries is the work of a Cranbrook alum, Ben Edwards 00’. Don’t be surprised if you see a lot of the people who work there wearing Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, or other Detroit paraphernalia. Apparently, it is highly encouraged by the management. Also, if you are planning to come to Portland for the weekend, be sure to plan a trip to Powell’s Books and take advantage of the exceptional food and music scene that we have here.”
     
    We asked Chase why he believes it is important to stay connected as an alumni community, and he said,  
     
    “Every Cranbrook and Kingswood graduate has been treated to a unique and life changing experience by going there. Staying connected to the schools is a way of giving back to the community to ensure that generations to come will get to have a similar experience. For example, my son will be graduating this year. He has had an exceptional experience while being there filled with trials and tribulations and most importantly, triumphs. He is heading off to college with confidence. In addition, he already has friends and connections from around the country and around that world that he can call on. Staying connected with the school is a way of staying connected with our outstanding alumni anywhere you go.”

    The event in April is only the start of many future events and activities planned for the Portland CRAN community. Whether you can join us for just the tour, just the reception, or both, we hope to see you as we reconnect and strengthen the connections that make our community so unique.  Chase continued on by saying,  
     
    “I was excited to see that we have a lot more CK Alumni in the Portland area, as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest, than I thought. I always appreciate the diversity of our alumni and the broad range of interests that they have pursued since they graduated from Cranbrook, Kingswood, or CK. Coming to the Portland event this April will be a way to connect with some interesting people that you may not have known are living right around the corner!”
     
    To register for this event, click here.  
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  • Save the date for Alumni Reunion June 7-8-9

    Registration for the June 7-8-9 reunion weekend begins next month

    Make your plans to attend reunion June 7-8-9. The classes of 1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019 will be celebrating milestone reunions. 
    There will be a full schedule of events for all alumni that weekend, including remembrances of former performing arts faculty Dr. Charles Geroux and Jessica Sinclair. We will be moving to a fully online registration this year, and the registration link will go live on the reunion page next month. There you will find links to sharing pages, dropdown menus with plans for each reunion class, a downloadable weekend schedule, and all the latest reunion news. 
     
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  • Jessica Sinclair and Dr. Charles Geroux

    Remembering Jessica Sinclair and Charles Geroux at Reunion 2024

    Join us Reunion weekend on Saturday, June 8th, as we honor the legacies of two remarkable performing arts icons: Charles Geroux and Jessica Sinclair.

    We will celebrate their lives and careers in two parts that weekend.
    Event Details: Saturday, June 8

    Tribute at Kingswood Auditorium:
    Time: 1:30 PM
    Location: Kingswood Auditorium
    Details: Hear heartfelt remarks from Chuck and Jesse's esteemed colleagues, Sarkis Halajian and Charlie Shaw. Enjoy a special performance directed by Katie Lorts and Kay Rediers as we reminisce on their impact.
     
    Evening Celebration at the Performing Arts Center:
    Time: Immediately following the Quad Fest cocktail party
    Location: Performing Arts Center
    Details: Let's sing, dance, and celebrate the memories of Charles Geroux and Jessica Sinclair. DJ Dan Dobrovich will be spinning all the hits that illuminated our stages over the years. Come ready for a lively trip down memory lane!Cash Bar available.
     
    Support the performing arts at Cranbrook Schools in their memory.
    Alumni have an opportunity to pay tribute to these two individuals who had such a significant impact on our performing arts programs through The Jessica Sinclair and Charles Geroux Legacy Fund for the Arts. This permanently endowed fund will serve to enhance our performing arts programs at Cranbrook Schools, engaging students with accomplished actors, musicians, and dancers from a wide range of disciplines.
    To learn more and make your gift today, click here or call (248) 645-3140. You can make a tribute in honor of Jessica Sinclair, Dr. Charles Geroux, or both, and we will notify their families that you have made a gift in their memory. For more information about the fund visit: https://bit.ly/ckSinclairGerouxFundInfo

    Other Ways to  Get Involved:
    Reunion Registration will open on the reunion page of the website in April. See Save the Date information by clicking here.

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  • Panelist Dr. Latonya Riddle-Jones '97 (center) with surgery resident Ninette Musili '13 (L) and a DCD alum

    Alumni in medical fields come together in Detroit for a panel and networking event

    On Thursday, February 29, 2024, more than 65 alumni from four Detroit-area Independent Schools including University Liggett School, Roeper, Detroit Country Day School and Cranbrook attended our first-ever Detroit Independent Schools Joint Alumni networking event at the Detroit Athletic Club. This inaugural gathering was a first time collaborative effort to bring together alumni from different schools together around shared career interests. The panel  featured medical professionals from all four of the schools. Dr. Latonya Riddle-Jones ‘97 represented Cranbrook Schools.
     
    Led by moderator Dr. Herman Gray, Chair, Wayne State University Department of Pediatrics, this group of physicians spoke about their varied careers and the ways in which their independent school backgrounds impacted their career paths.
     
    After the panel discussion concluded, panel participants and alumni guests from the four schools stayed to mix, mingle and network with each other. It was a fantastic, collaborative evening, and we look forward to planning future career events in additional industries going forward, and expanding our reach beyond the Detroit area.
     
    To view photos from this event, click here.
    Email the alumni office if you are interested in participating in a career-based networking event in your field.

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  • February

     Anand Parikh '04, Leila Kalley, Michele LoDuca and Dan Valbracht, all '05 in Austin

    Alumni connect at regional events in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco

    Since the start of the new year, Cranbrook Regional Alumni Networks (CRAN) across the country have been building community, and regathering, in some cases after several years hiatus due to the pandemic. In January and February, events took place in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, bringing together generations of Cranbrook Kingswood alumni, spanning from the 60’s through to the 2020s.
     
    On January 22, Austin-area alumni gathered at The Well in the 2nd Street District and shared with staff that traveled the growth that has taken place in their city over the last several years. A huge hub for the tech industry has brought many of our alumni there.  Some alumni relocated from California, some are new to the area, and others have been there for several years or decades. The alumni that came out for the event are ready to plan the next one and excited to meet more area alumni.

    That same week, on January 24, Chicagoland CK and HUB alumni gathered at The Tavern Club, situated at the corner of two of Chicago’s most recognizable streets, Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue. Special guests were Director of Schools Dr. Jeff Suzik, and Director of Horizons-Upward Bound Lisa Smoots.

    On February 3, the Southern California regional alumni network gathered at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills, building off last year’s event at the LACMA Museum. Director of Schools Dr. Jeff Suzik provided guests with an update from campus and shared the new mission statement for Cranbrook Schools. This group brings the energy and ready for the next gathering!

    Finishing out the week in California, on February 5 the Northern California CRAN Event took place at Miller & Lux in San Francisco with an impressive showing of CK alumni! Alumni heard updates from Director of Schools Dr. Jeff Suzik and connected for the first time as a community in over 5 years. Alumni gathered in the Bar and Lounge to enjoy good food and conversation.

    If you’re interested in future CRAN events and programming, or becoming more involved on a CRAN committee, contact Mackenzie Friedman, Associate Director of Alumni Relations at mfriedman@cranbrook.edu for more information. Send along your current address, as invitations to regional events are sent to alumni by the mailing address listed in our alumni database. Let us know where you live so you can take advantage of the CK network in your area!

    View photos from the Austin event
    View photos from the Chicago event
    View photos from the Los Angeles event
    View photos from the San Francisco event
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  • Henry Whiting '73 at Teater's Knoll, his Frank Lloyd Wright designed home

    April 24 Sirchio Lecture with Henry Whiting II '73

    On Wednesday, April 24th Cranbrook Schools alumnus Henry Whiting II ‘73, restorer and resident of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Teater Studio, will speak on campus as part of Cranbrook Schools' Sirchio Distinguished Speaker Series. The lecture is open to the public and will begin at 7pm at deSalle Auditorium at the Cranbrook Art Museum.
     
    Whiting will share his passion for mid-century design and his expertise in the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. His journey into the world of architecture was uniquely shaped by his great-uncle, renowned architect Alden B. Dow, as well as his early exposure to the Cranbrook campus and the architecture of Eliel Saarinen. Whiting is the author of two seminal works, "At Nature's Edge: Frank Lloyd Wright's Artist Studio" and "Teater's Knoll: Frank Lloyd Wright's Idaho Legacy," as well as numerous articles detailing the studio's significance.
     
    Feeding Whiting’s early passion for architectural design, Whiting's early immersion in Frank Lloyd Wright's aesthetic and philosophy led him to Idaho, where he played a role in the design and realization of his parents' home in Sun Valley. His connection with Wright's principles led him to commission a contemporary protégé, architect Bart Prince, for a house in Greenhorn Gulch, epitomizing the enduring legacy of Mid-Twentieth Century architecture.
     
    Today, residing in Frank Lloyd Wright’s only Idaho building, the Archie Teater Studio in Bliss, Whiting has dedicated over 40 years to its restoration. Renowned as an expert in Wright’s vision of harmonious architectural integration with the landscape, Whiting's lecture will give insight into his lifelong relationship with Mid-Twentieth Century architecture and design. Whiting opens Teater’s Knoll to visitors regularly, and speaks around the country, offering a firsthand account of living within the Mid-Century Modern design ethos and advocating for the preservation of this quintessentially American movement.
     
    The Sirchio Lecture is open to the public and there is no charge for tickets, however seating is limited, so let us know you are coming by emailing alumni@cranbrook.edu to ensure availability.
     
    Inaugurated in 1993 by alumnus Kris Sirchio `83, the Sirchio Distinguished Speaker Series brings amazing alumni back to inspire students to follow their passion, aim high and believe anything is possible.
    Past speakers have included Michael Barone ‘62, Daniel Ellsberg ‘48, Sven Birkerts ‘69, Ward Just ‘53, Natalie Zemon Davis '45, Michael Hodges ’73, Tod Williams ‘61 and Billie Tsien, Rob Edwards ‘81, planetary scientist Cathy Sybert Olkin '84, and author Edmund White ’58.

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  • CKAA Career Fair brings Alumni Talent to Campus

    More than 70 alumni volunteers from an array of backgrounds manned stations mapped out by industry at the CKAA’s Career Fair for Juniors and Seniors. Students took advantage of this opportunity to dialogue with alumni about college choices, majors, career paths and more.  Careers represented included cybersecurity, investment banking, veterinary medicine, robotics, digital marketing and more. In addition to one-on-one sessions with individual career mentors, students participated in ongoing interviewing skills workshops led experienced HR professional Sue Sun Lasovage, which were well received, as seniors are currently interviewing for Senior May Project opportunities, which are in great demand.
     
    Immediately following the career fair, alumni volunteers gathered off campus for a professional networking event at Eddie Merlot’s.
     
    To view more photos from the career fair and other alumni events click here.
    To see the full list of career mentors from the January 31 event, click here.
    For more information on hosting a 3-week Senior May Project internship for a CK senior May 12-May 31, click here.

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  • Alumni Medical Networking Event Flyer

    Medical Alumni Networking Event February 29 at Detroit Athletic Club

    The Alumni Offices of Cranbrook, Detroit Country Day, Roeper, and University Liggett School have teamed up to provide our Detroit-area medical professional alumni with a unique networking opportunity on Thursday, February 29 at 5 p.m., at the Detroit Athletic Club. The event will begin at 5 p.m. with a panel discussion between medical doctors who graduated from each of our schools. Dr. Latonya Riddle-Jones ’97 will represent CK on the panel.  Herman Gray, M.D., M.B.A., Chair of the Wayne State University Department of Pediatrics will moderate the panel and lead the discussion and question and answer session. Immediately following, there will be time for guests to network and share experiences. If you wish to attend this event, register here. Space is limited.

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  • Upcoming Washington DC CRAN event March 7

    For those living in or traveling to the D.C. area on Thursday, March 7, please join us for a memorable afternoon and evening with two opportunities to connect with fellow graduates in the area. The afternoon will begin with an architectural tour of the East Building at the National Gallery of Art, hosted by docent and Kingswood Class of 1966 alumna, Sheridan Strickland. Attendees are asked to meet at the information desk in the East Building between 3:30-4:00 p.m. with the tour beginning promptly at 4:00 p.m. 
     
    Following the tour, all are invited to an alumni reception at Succotash (9TH AND F STREET) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Special guest Dr. Jeff Suzik, Director of Schools will provide news and updates from happenings back on campus. Whether you're able to join us for just the tour, just the reception, or both, we hope to see you as we reconnect and strengthen the connections that make our alumni community so special.  
      
    REGISTER by emailing us at alumni@cranbrook.edu and let us know if you're able to join us for the tour and/or reception. Additional details will follow in a confirmation and reminder email. 

    Click here to see who is coming so far! 

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  • January

    Remembering Jan Wells

    We are passing along the sad news of the loss of former faculty member Janris Wells earlier this month.
    Below is an excerpt from Jan's obituary, sent by her sons Jeff Wells '80 and James Wells '81.

    Jan Wells passed away Tuesday, January 9th.  A Nashville native and tomboy at heart, Jan attended Trevecca Nazarene High School and University in Nashville, then finished her bachelor’s at Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University) in Oklahoma City.  Later in life, Jan received her master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Oakland University in Michigan.  
     
    Jan married Jim Wells (who passed away 14 months ago) in 1958 and worked as a secretary to support them through his doctorate at The Ohio State University.  After short stints in North Carolina and Virginia in the mid-1960s, Jan and Jim moved to Cranbrook Educational Community in suburban Detroit where she later taught typing/keyboarding at Cranbrook Kingswood School.  
     
    Jan loved Cranbrook and it loved her back.  She served as a beloved faculty member and advisor to many students over the years and never tired of playing cards or board games with the school’s boarding students during weekend dormitory duty.  After 28 years at Cranbrook, she and Jim retired to a lake house in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just outside her native Nashville.  There she enjoyed connecting with family and friends, played tennis and bridge, one or both nearly every day, and read avidly.  At 89, Jan and Jim moved to Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland to be nearer son Jeff, but maintained her interest in bridge and tennis, and even took up pickleball.  
     
    Known for her infectious laugh and love of play, Jan’s students and many friends appreciated her mischievous sense of fun, regardless of the situation or affair.  She was competitive too.  A “Ruby Life Master” bridge player with a killer lob on the tennis court, she was the one in the family with all the sports trophies.  And outside a loss at the bridge table or tennis court, you were still in danger of losing time if she ever started talking about her family.    
     
    Jan is survived by her son Jeff and his spouse David, son James and his spouse Thekla, and three grandsons:  Christopher, Constantin, and Alexander.  In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Wells Family Scholarship Fund at Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, or to Montgomery Hospice in Rockville, Maryland.
     
    To share memories of Jan, visit https://padlet.com/CKshares/JWells
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  • Peter Schmidt '57 and Grandson Alex Eikenberry '20

    Winter alumni visits to campus

    The weather outside might be frightful, but nothing can stop our alumni from visiting campus when they are near. Over the holidays Peter Schmidt '57 came to town from Falls Church, VA and his grandson Alex Eikenberry '20 was in from University of Arizona. They carved out time for a multi-generational visit to the newly renovated alumni courtyard. Laurel Robertson Shouvlin '74  paid a visit to Kingswood from Ohio, touring the weaving studio and paying a quick trip to her class plaque in advance of her 50th reunion in June. On her visit she had a chance to connect with Sally Carpenter Kerr '74 who surprised her, coming up for air from the undercarriage of a loom she was repairing, a labor of love Sally continues to perform in the studio.

    In February Jane Miley Rivkin '61 visited campus with her daughter, visiting author Susan Verde. Jane attended sessions at Brookside led by her daughter who read from her book, "Who I Am: Stories I Tell Myself" to a rapt audience.  Following the Brookside readings, Jane and Susan toured Kingswood.

    Family members of alumni are always welcome to visit campus to remember the Cranbrook Kingswood legacy of their loved ones. Laura Butus, daughter of the late Keith Butus '78 came on a visit with friends earlier this month. She enjoyed seeing the alumni courtyard, the quadrangle and dormitories that figured in so  many of her dad's stories of his formative years.

    Even in the cold, crisp winter, our campus remains a hub for alumni.

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  • Alumni event at Cranbrook Institute of Science on February 25

    The Cranbrook Kingswood Alumni Association will host an alumni takeover at Cranbrook Institute of Science on Sunday, February 25 from 4-6 pm. Alumni and their guests are invited to mingle with faculty, fellow alumni & their guests, and explore exhibits including "Galileo: Scientist, Astronomer, Visionary" and enjoy pizza and refreshments.

    Bring family members, children, grandchildren, dinosaur fans of any age, a fellow alum or a date. It will be fun to check out the exhibits and a laser show with alumni groups of all ages and compositions. The CKAA will keep everyone fueled up with pizza and dessert. Feel free to forward this information to fellow alumni who might be interested in joining.

    Space is limited. Email alumni@cranbrook.edu to RSVP or call (248) 645-3253.

    Click here to see photos from last year's event at CIS
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  • Los Angeles CRAN event 2023

    Registrations for alumni events in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco are live

    The upcoming weeks are busy ones for our regional alumni networks with events coming up in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Space at all CRAN events is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. See below for details, registration and to see who is signed up so far.

    Austin CRAN Event
    Date: Monday, January 22, 2024
    Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
    Location: The Well
    Address: 440 W 2nd Street Austin, TX 78701
    Click here to register
    Click  here to see who is coming so far

    Chicago CRAN Event
    Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2023
    Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
    Location: The Tavern Club at 333
    Address: 333 Michigan Ave #400, Chicago, IL 60601 
    Click here to register
    Click here to see who is coming so far

    Los Angeles CRAN Event
    Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
    Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
    Location: The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills
    Address: 1020 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
    Click here to register
    Click here to see who is coming so far
    Northern California CRAN Event
    Date: Monday, February 5, 2024
    Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
    Location: Miller & Lux
    Address: 700 Terry A Francois Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94158
    Click here to register
    Click here to see who is coming so far

    Invitations for all of our regional events go out to alumni based on the address you have listed with your alumni record. To update your address so you receive invitations to events near you, email the alumni office at alumni@cranbrook.edu

    As always, feel free to forward information about upcoming events to your fellow alumni. We are missing contact information for many alumni.

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  • Reunion 2024 will be held June 7-8-9

    Save the dates of June 7-8-9 for Reunion 2024

    The classes of 1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019 will be celebrating major milestones.  Milestone events start Friday night. The alumni office will be hosting dinner on the quad for our milestone Golden Graduates from the classes of ‘44, ‘49, ‘54, ‘59, ‘64, ’69 and ’74. The classes of ‘79, ‘84, ‘89, ‘94, ‘99, ‘04, ‘09, ‘14, and ’19 are invited to a cocktail party at Kingswood Friday night. 

    Events for all alumni continue Saturday and Sunday, including remembrances of former performing arts faculty Dr. Charles Geroux and Jessica Sinclair. Saturday night the classes of ’84 and ’94 will have designated dinner gatherings just off the quad immediately following their class photos. Sign up for all events via the reunion registration.

    Visit the reunion web page at http://bit.ly/CKreunionUpdates for the full schedule. Registration will open there in April.

    Click here to share memories of Chuck Geroux
    Click here to share memories of Jessie Sinclair

    Click here to view photos from last year's reunion
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  • National Gallery, DC and Portland Japanese Garden

    Spring alumni events in Washington DC and Portland

    Alumni  - save these dates for upcoming outreach events in Washington DC and Portland.

    Washington, DC CRAN Event
    Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024
    Time: Private Tour at NGA from 4-5 p.m. / Gathering from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
    Location: National Gallery of Art Tour with Sheridan Strickland '66 followed by gathering at nearby venue (TBD)
    Email the alumni office at alumni@cranbrook.edu to reserve your spot.

    Portland CEC Event
    Date: Saturday, April 13. 2024
    Time: Garden Tours from 3-5 p.m. / Brewery Gathering from 5-7 p.m.
    Location: Portland Japanese Gardens & Breakside Brewery
    Registration for this event will open up in March.

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