Please join us for a for a White Party with Bill Massie, architect-in-residence at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, who hosts our Club Sept. 23 at his new lawn tennis club in Pontiac.

Massie is an accomplished architect who not only earned his Master of Architecture from Columbia University but also taught at the school. He's known internationally for his work and has a piece in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

The White Party theme is in honor of the tennis tradition of wearing all-white on the tennis courts. Please wear something white if you can, certainly it need not be a head-to-toe ensemble.

Unless, of course, you want to play on the grass courts — and here is your chance:

Massie has invited alumni and their guests who RSVP for this event to play tennis on the courts of this private club 4 to 6 p.m., before the actual event at 6. No membership required. Only requirement for those who want to play is to wear ALL WHITE.

Starting at 6 p.m., we'll enjoy drinks and appetizers as we get a tour of the club and grounds. Then Massie — a Michigan native via Grand Rapids — will share some career highlights, including winning the prestigious Arts and Letters Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2011, his architectural inspirations, and memories of his days at Columbia as well as his passion for lawn tennis and hopes for his club and city of Pontiac. 

We encourage you to invite guests to this event which is also a celebration of Columbia Connects.

Tickets: $15 for the first person plus $10 for each guest you bring. If you RSVP'd early, you will still need to pay. Please scroll below to pay online by clicking the Purchase Tickets button.

For more about the club or Massie, see the links below:

Massie on his work and Arts and Letters Award in Architecture in 2011:

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20110616/DM01/110619972/head-of-architecture-at-cranbrook-says-long-hours-lead-to-success#

Cranbrook's page on Massie:

https://www.cranbrookart.edu/Pages/ArchitectureDept.html

NYT piece on Wessen Lawn Tennis Club:

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/09/sports/tennis/a-touch-of-wimbledon-in-pontiac-michigan.html?_r=0

For more on the Wessen Lawn Tennis Club, 235 Wessen Street Pontiac, MI 48341, (248) 885-7375: https://www.wessenlawntennis.com/

For more on this year's Columbia Connects events and info around the country and the world, please click the logo below: