The Scarab Club
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Scarab Club is an organization dedicated to the visual, auditory, and literary arts. The club was founded in 1907 by a group of Detroit artists as way to socialize with one another and share their ideas and passion while also hosting festive events and educating the public. Since 1928, the Scarab Club has been housed in its current clubhouse in the heart of the Cultural Center Historic District.
Images
The Scarab Club
The Scarab Club logo
Inside the clubhouse lounge, showing the signatures of famous artists on the ceiling beams.
One of the early costume balls put on by the club
Laying the cornerstone for the new clubhouse, completed in 1928
A club dinner party in 1949
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Scarab Club is an organization dedicated to the visual,
auditory, and literary arts. The club was founded in 1907 by a group of Detroit
artists as way to socialize with one another and share their ideas and passion
while also hosting festive events and educating the public. Originally called
the Hopkin Club after Detroit painter Robert Hopkin, it was renamed the Scarab
Club in 1913. The club president James Swan was a collector of carved
Egyptian scarabs, a beetle that represents rebirth and resurrection. 1
Many of the member artists had various affiliations with the burgeoning auto industry as designers, advertisers, illustrators, graphic artists, and photographers. Prominent members of the club included Charles and Lawrence Fisher of Fisher Body Corporation, Edsel Ford of Ford Motor Company, and George Hodges, who made the first enclosed body for a Ford automobile. The club hosted informal meetings such as art discussions, sketch sessions, and dinners. The club’s annual themed costume balls began in 1917 and became a major social event in Detroit; photographs of the event were featured every year in large spreads in local newspapers and even Life Magazine.2
Since 1928, the Scarab Club has been housed in its current clubhouse in the heart of the Cultural Center Historic District. A mix of Renaissance Revival and Moderne styles, the three-story brick building was designed by Lancelot Sukert, who was also a club member and had studied under famous Detroit architect Albert Kahn. The outside of the building has mosaics and Moorish grill decoration as well as a colorful tile scarab emblem. A copper phoenix sculpture is set into one wall. The inside has art deco fixtures and contains offices, a gallery, artists’ studios, and a lounge. The lounge has two major historic features: a huge mural over the fireplace painted by club member Paul Honore, and ceiling beams signed by visiting artists. Some of the notable signatures include Diego Rivera, John Sloan, and Norman Rockwell. 3
The Scarub Club today hosts music concerts, poetry readings, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. The club’s permanent art collection by members is only display throughout. The clubhouse is also a popular venue for weddings and party rentals.
Many of the member artists had various affiliations with the burgeoning auto industry as designers, advertisers, illustrators, graphic artists, and photographers. Prominent members of the club included Charles and Lawrence Fisher of Fisher Body Corporation, Edsel Ford of Ford Motor Company, and George Hodges, who made the first enclosed body for a Ford automobile. The club hosted informal meetings such as art discussions, sketch sessions, and dinners. The club’s annual themed costume balls began in 1917 and became a major social event in Detroit; photographs of the event were featured every year in large spreads in local newspapers and even Life Magazine.2
Since 1928, the Scarab Club has been housed in its current clubhouse in the heart of the Cultural Center Historic District. A mix of Renaissance Revival and Moderne styles, the three-story brick building was designed by Lancelot Sukert, who was also a club member and had studied under famous Detroit architect Albert Kahn. The outside of the building has mosaics and Moorish grill decoration as well as a colorful tile scarab emblem. A copper phoenix sculpture is set into one wall. The inside has art deco fixtures and contains offices, a gallery, artists’ studios, and a lounge. The lounge has two major historic features: a huge mural over the fireplace painted by club member Paul Honore, and ceiling beams signed by visiting artists. Some of the notable signatures include Diego Rivera, John Sloan, and Norman Rockwell. 3
The Scarub Club today hosts music concerts, poetry readings, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. The club’s permanent art collection by members is only display throughout. The clubhouse is also a popular venue for weddings and party rentals.
Sources
1. Renner, Christian and Patricia Reed and Michael E. Crane. Images of America: The Scarab Club. Arcadia Publishing, 2006.
2. "About Us." The Scarab Club Website. Accessed July 9, 2016. http://scarabclub.org/about-us/
3. Carlson, Dale. "The Scarab Club - Detroit, Michigan." I Love Detroit Michigan Website. Published October 10, 2011. Accessed July 9, 2016. http://ilovedetroitmichigan.com/detroit-architecture/the-scarab-club-detroit-michigan/#!wp-prettyPhoto[g1672]/3/