The increased scale and quality of Cooper-Hewitt’s exhibitions program, the growth of the Museum’s collections, and expansion of its national education programs, are the major components of Cooper-Hewitt’s long term vision of being the nation’s design authority and resource. To implement these institutional goals and meet the needs of Cooper-Hewitt’s growing audience, the Museum launched a $64 million Capital Campaign—the most ambitious project in the Museum’s history. Called RE:DESIGN, the project is achieving three main goals:
- RE:NEW - Transformation of Cooper-Hewitt’s facilities into a twenty-first century museum, creating a dramatically improved learning environment for students and the public.
- RE:EDUCATE - Expansion of the Museum’s website to create an open theater of ideas, providing a unique and innovative forum for college professors and high-school students to participate in the design discourse.
- RE:ASSURE - Building the Museum’s endowment to provide increased and guaranteed annual funding to support collection growth, the expansion of educational programs, and the number and variety of exhibitions Cooper-Hewitt presents.
The physical expansion, reinvigorated online presence, and strong financial foundation will create a truly national design museum and design resource for the United States, providing its visitors—both onsite and online—with a greater understanding of the cultural relevance of historic and contemporary design.
Caroline Baumann,
Acting Director
