The Richard and Jane Manoogian Art Gallery
Schaap Center
15001 E Jefferson Ave.
Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.
June 18, 2026
One of Metro Detroit’s newest art galleries is offering a glimpse into what is considered one of the finest private collections of American art. The Richard and Jane Manoogian Art Gallery is quietly located inside the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Center for the Performing Arts, a theater that opened last month on the border of Grosse Pointe and Detroit.
The 1,300-square-foot space houses rotating paintings from the prominent Manoogian family collection, largely 19th and early 20th century American art with genres that include American Impressionism, still life, Hudson River School and trompe l’oeil. The current collection has about 20 paintings on display featuring themes of food, landscapes and portraits.
Arguably the most dominant are painted copies of Thomas Cole’s “The Voyage of Life,” completed in 1852 by DeWitt Clinton Boutelle. The series of four large paintings span an entire wall.
From a distance, the paintings appear as landscapes. On closer look, you see a small boat that literally carries a boy throughout four stages of life: infancy, childhood, adulthood and old age. A haloed angel shining in white also appears in the paintings to guide him: She stands near him in infancy, watches him from ashore as a young man and from the sky as an adult, before flying close to him in old age to guide him to heaven.
Both figures are small in contrast to the vast landscape of mountains, land and sky around them. The scenery isn’t scary, but it is a reminder of the world’s enormity in comparison to our human bodies and lifetimes, which can be an overwhelming thought. Together, the paintings are a comforting representation of a guardian angel, a divine being sent to guide and protect you throughout the challenges of life before taking you to a peaceful eternity.
My favorites of the collection were the three female portraits that hung on the opposite wall. They were brighter, more feminine and better aligned to my personal aesthetic.
Of those three, I particularly enjoyed William Sargeant Kendall’s “Portrait of Beatrice.” The 1919 painting depicts an elegant young woman in a yellow dress sitting outdoors among the trees on a sunny day cuddling her small white dog. The blend of yellows, greens and white/gray was calming and well-balanced: the green florals of her hat matched with the leaves on the trees and brought out her piercing green eyes; the light-reflected greenery enhanced the yellow of her dress, and her dog blended with the white trim on her dress and matched the shades of the tree trunks nearby. The effect was sweet, harmonious and especially heartwarming for dog-lovers; it reminded me of my own small dog I lost earlier this year.
The Manoogian Art Gallery is a small space but a perfect size for a 15–30-minute walk-through ahead of a performance or during intermission. It is also accessible for free from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday for those who are unable to attend a performance. It’s a welcome cultural addition to the region and worth a visit on its own.
