The Michigan Alliance for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage is pleased to announce that Mark A. Coir, Director of Cranbrook Archives (http://www.cranbrook.edu) has been awarded the 2006 Michigan Heritage Guardian Award. Mark has been active in the area of conservation of cultural heritage in Michigan, predominantly for Cranbrook and in the Detroit area for over twenty years. The MACCH Award recognizes his long held commitment and productive work for conservation and his most recent contributions.
Mark is recognized for his work documenting the history of Cranbrook and the Detroit area landscape, architecture, sculpture and art. To note just a few of his most recent successfully funded projects:
- Getty Grant to document the current condition for the historical landscapes and associated hardscapes for some Cranbrook areas to assist future landscape architects in developing future landscape renovation,
- IMLS challenge grant to support the Cranbrook Homestead Catalogue Project,
- Save America’s Treasures grant for the restoration of Cranbrook House,
- Assisted on 2002 NEA grant to develop a conservation plan for the Saarinen House and the adjoining Milles House.
Currently in process is the nomination of Cranbrook as a World Heritage site. Mark has been instrumental in this process, which recognizes Cranbrook and provides protection from development to assure the campus’s historical setting.
Through his own efforts and his commitment to educating future archivists of the importance of cultural heritage through lectures and exhibits, Mark Coir has extended the reach of conservation far beyond Cranbrook. Examples of such efforts include:
- Yearly guest lecture in the Wayne State University Archival Program on “Electronic Records,”
- Lectured two years at the Detroit Historical Museum on “Architects We Knew” dealing with Detroit History,
- Helped develop 2006 exhibition and wrote the a chapter in the book entitled “Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future,”
- Bloomfield Cable TV: 2 Programs – Cranbrooks Historical Costume Collection, The History of Cranbrook 2005 featured 5 years ago in “America’s Castles series” on A&E. Cranbrook house featured,
- 75 tours a year to visitors on “The History of Cranbrook” including the House, Campus and Conservation Projects,
The Michigan Alliance for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage is a statewide 501©(3) organization composed of libraries, archives, museums, historical societies and preservation networks that was founded in October 1988 with the support of the Michigan Humanities Council. The purpose is to promote the protection and preservation of Michigan’s cultural and humanities resources for the enjoyment, education and benefit of present and future generations. Cultural resources include archival materials, records, objects, artifacts of every day life, historic sites, buildings and landscapes held privately or publicly or collected by libraries, archives and museums.
For over 20 years Mark Coir has worked to develop the archives and preserve the cultural properties of Cranbrook. MACCH pays special tribute to his commitment and successful efforts by presenting him with the Michigan Heritage Guardian Award for 2006.