Can you explain a little bit about the type of work you do here at Cooper-Hewitt? I am the Grants Manager in the Development/Institutional Giving Department. I work on fundraising for all of our education programs—from pre-literacy programs for toddlers to adult public lectures and workshops. I research potential new funders, write proposals and reports,...
One of the main goals with our new collections website has been to create connections between the Cooper-Hewitt collection and the rest of the world that already exist out on the Internet. Wikipedia is a key part of that world, and Wikipedia is becoming more ‘museum-friendly‘ every day. Right now we know that we have...
Every year, the Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for one Queensland school teacher to travel to New York to work in the Cooper-Hewitt’s Education Department for the summer. They develop knowledge and skills to apply and share with students and colleagues back in Queensland as well as contribute their unique vision to programs offered...
Can you explain a little bit about the type of work you do here at Cooper-Hewitt as the Director of Retail? I oversee the retail aspect of the museum which at the moment, due to the renovation, is focused on our on-line shop as well as pop-up shops such as the one we currently have...
I’ve long admired Donald Deskey’s drawing, Design for "Sportshack" (1940) in the Cooper Hewitt’s collection. When I first saw it, I immediately imagined what it might be like to live in this elegantly proportioned little gem of a house. As one half of a couple sharing our own micro-apartment, I understand the challenges of paring...
Although probably best known as the designer of the iconic Paris Metro station metalwork, Hector Guimard (1867-1942) one of the most prominent innovators of the art nouveau style, was an architect who focused on domestic design in many media. I find his ability to find a way to execute his design aesthetic in many media...
Newsworthy combines age-old techniques with the modern notion of recycling. Woven on handlooms using the same technique as traditional grasscloth, the wallpaper is composed of 100% recycled newspaper and nylon filament. The bulk of the world's grasscloth has always been made in Japan. Traditionally woven from the bark of the honeysuckle vine, grasscloth used as...
Each day, 600,000 New Yorkers hop in the back of a taxi – the iconic yellow cab that is a symbol of New York City around the world. The 2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi, New York's Taxi of Tomorrow, made its global debut yesterday at a special event with New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg...
According to Jim Pynn, Superintendent of Newtown Creek’s 52-acre water waste treatment plant, the plant’s star architectural feature is eight futuristic, stainless steel–clad “digester eggs.” Tours of the facility began less than a year ago. Our tour started early in the morning in the new Visitor Center. Once inside, it was hard to hear over...
