Le Salon at DFH- Detroit’s Design DNA: The DIA’s 1949 For Modern Living Exhibition — Legacy and Lessons
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Le Salon is Detroit’s new gathering for curious minds and spirited conversation. Each month, we invite local professors, artists, and community leaders to share fresh perspectives in a relaxed, after-hours setting in our new Borgman Room just off of the Apparatus Room.
Arrive early, grab a cocktail (or your drink of choice), and settle in for a 35–40 minute talk that’s as thought-provoking as it is approachable. Whether you’re a regular or just dropping by, Le Salon is your place to connect, unwind, and discover something new—no tickets, no pressure, just great ideas and good company.
Come for the lecture, stay for the conversation.
About the Lecture:
Detroit’s Design DNA: The DIA’s 1949 For Modern Living Exhibition — Legacy and Lessons
How can the legacy of Detroit’s past — its “design DNA” — inspire Detroit artists, institutions and civic leaders of today and tomorrow?
Join art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky to explore a watershed moment in Detroit design history: the 1949 For Modern Living exhibition at the Detroit Insitute of Arts.
Centered on the DIA’s Great Hall, For Modern LIving marshaled midcentury masters Alexander Girard, Minoru Yamasaki, Eero Saarinen, and Charles & Ray Eames to create a “new concept of beauty” for the modern era — with a focus on design for the home. More importantly, the exhibition — which employed a multidisciplinary design team, civic & corporate partnerships, and innovative exhibition displays — provides a model for Detroit’s design community today.
**This lecture ties in directly with the Cranbrook Art Museum’s current exhibition.
About the Lecturer:
Deborah Lubera Kawsky was born in Detroit, MI, which inspired her love for the city’s art and architecture.
Kawsky completed her undergraduate studies in art history at Smith College and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Princeton University. She is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at Madonna University, where she teaches art history courses and works with students and corporate partners on community projects.
Kawsky has lectured at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Art Museum and Palm Springs Modernism Week on a range of art historical topics, including midcentury modern design, Detroit art and architecture, Italian Renaissance painting, and women and the arts.
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