In 2025, Cranbrook Art Museum launched Eventually Everything Connects: Mid-Century Modern Design in the US, a monumental re-assessment of Midcentury Modernism. Undertaken by an institution which is often lauded as the cradle of Midcentury Modernism itself, co-curators Andrew Satake Blauvelt (Director) and Bridget Bartal (MillerKnoll Curatorial Fellow) shine a light not only on Cranbrook’s pivotal role in one of the most important and persistent movements of Modern design to emerge in the 20th century but also offer new scholarship on other important designers of the period.

Taking its title from the famous quote by Cranbrook alumnus and teacher Charles Eames, “Eventually everything connects: people, ideas, objects,” the project contains works by artists, architects, and designers that explore the multitude of relationships between these three fundamental pillars.

This large-scale survey celebrates works from iconic Cranbrook figures like Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll, Ralph Rapson and Eero Saarinen alongside historically eclipsed contributions of women, LGBTQ+ individuals and designers of color including Joel Robinson, Ray Komai, Ruth Adler Schnee, Gere Kavanaugh, Olga Lee, Miller Yee Fong, Lucia DeRespinis, Dorothy Liebes and many others.

Through this re-evaluation of midcentury Modern design, we can better understand the ceaselessly captivating moment which continues to be influential today.

A book signing for Eventually Everything Connects: Mid-Century Modern Design in the US (Phaidon, 2025) will follow the presentation.

cranbrookartmuseum.org