Photo by Tim Johnson
Event Location
Cranbrook Academy of Art x MOCAD: Karyn Olivier
Artist Talks + Panels
Thursday, October 08, 2026
6pm – 8pm
In partnership with Cranbrook Academy of Art, MOCAD presents an artist talk featuring Karyn Olivier (CAA, MFA Ceramics, 2001) on the occasion of her landmark solo exhibition Bend, Mend, Break. MOCAD’s Co-Director + Artistic Director Jova Lynne (CAA, MFA Photography, 2017) will introduce the talk.
Presenting a journey through Olivier’s expansive career, the program also celebrates the impact of Cranbrook’s alumni network while fostering dialogue across generations of artists working in and beyond the Detroit cultural landscape.
This event is free with admission to the Cranbrook Art Museum.
About Our Speaker
Karyn Olivier creates sculpture, installation, and public art. She is currently the Public Works Artist-in-Residence at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Forthcoming projects include a memorial to Vel R. Phillips. Recent presentations include the 2024 Whitney Biennial, La Trienal at El Museo del Barrio, the Malta Biennale, and Prospect.6 in New Orleans.
Olivier has exhibited widely at institutions such as the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and MoMA PS1. She has received major honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Rome Prize, and a USA Fellowship, and is a professor of sculpture at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture.
