Exhibitions Archive

This archive includes past Cooper-Hewitt exhibitions dating back to 1975. Earlier exhibitions, including those set as early as the 1930s when the Museum was the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration, are being compiled and will be added at a future date. The Museum is currently closed for renovation, scheduled to re-open in 2014.

Past exhibitions can also be explored online through exhibition catalogs and related publications in our collection of historical publications.

Design ≠ Art: Functional Objects from Donald Judd to Rachel Whiteread On View: Friday, September 10, 2004 to Sunday, February 27, 2005 This groundbreaking exhibition explores the virtually unknown design works by some of the most significant Minimalist and post-Minimalist artists of the last 50 years. Design ≠ Art, Minimalist, Post-Minimalist, exhibitions, functional
Artist's Designed Wallpapers On View: Friday, August 13, 2004 to Sunday, November 14, 2004 This exhibition features wallcoverings designed by leading 20th century artists. Artists' Designed Wallpapers, exhibitions, wallpaper, 20th century, permanent collection, Greg Herringshaw, ch:exhibition=35350859
Faster, Cheaper, Newer, More: Revolutions of 1848 On View: Friday, June 4, 2004 to Sunday, January 30, 2005 As the first guest curator of an installation in the Nancy and Edwin Marks Gallery, renowned writer, critic, and radio show host, Kurt Andersen, assembled a diverse array of artifacts from the Museum’s permanent collection to illustrate the rapid political, technological, and social changes which burst forth around the pivotal year of 1848. Revolutions of 1848, exhibitions, nancy and edwin marks gallery, Kurt Andersen, permanent collection, 19th century, ch:exhibition=35350831
Solos: FutureShack On View: Friday, May 14, 2004 to Sunday, October 10, 2004 In the second installment of the Solos exhibition series, Cooper-Hewitt presents Australian architect Sean Godsell’s architectural prototype FutureShack, a low-cost, mobile housing project which addresses the shelter needs of refugees and displaced or homeless persons around the world. Solos, FutureShack, Sean Godsell, exhibitions, prototypes, Architecture, mobile housing, shelter
Shock of the Old: Christopher Dresser On View: Friday, March 5, 2004 to Sunday, July 25, 2004 This exhibition, the first full-scale museum retrospective of Dresser’s work, introduced his work to American audiences. Shock of the Old, Christopher Dresser, exhibitions, Industrial Design, 19th century, industrial production, retrospective, ch:exhibition=35350293
Nancy and Edwin Marks Collection Gallery: Treasures from the Collection On View: Thursday, October 16, 2003 to Sunday, May 2, 2004 The inaugural exhibition in the Nancy and Edwin Marks Collection Gallery examines the range of the Museum’s collection, which spans 23 centuries and five continents. nancy and edwin marks gallery, permanent collection, exhibitions, Paul Warwick Thompson, wallpaper, decorative arts, ch:exhibition=35350239
Solos: SmartWrap On View: Tuesday, August 5, 2003 to Friday, October 10, 2003 Designed by the Philadelphia-based Kieran Timberlake Associates LLP, Smartwrap is a concept for a customizable building material that incorporates emerging technologies in heating, lighting, and solar energy in a building’s façade. Solos, Smartwrap, materials, Architecture, Kieran Timberlake, building materials, Installations, Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden
National Design Triennial: Inside Design Now On View: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 to Sunday, January 25, 2004 A showcase of work by 80 American designers, the second installment of the National Design Triennial includes both conceptual and realized objects from current and emerging leaders in a variety of design fields. national design triennial, Inside Design Now, exhibitions, Architecture, interior design, landscape design, product design, graphic design, fashion design, new media, ch:exhibition=35350321
New Hotels for Global Nomads On View: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 to Sunday, March 2, 2003 Featuring an international mix of architecture, product design, fashion, and media, this exhibition highlights a current generation of hotels that meet tourists' demands for entertainment and business travelers' needs for offices on the road. Architecture, product design, fashion, hotels, travel, exhibitions, ch:exhibition=35350233
Skin: Surface, Substance, and Design On View: Tuesday, May 7, 2002 to Sunday, September 15, 2002 More than 150 objects—an international mix of products, fashion, furniture, architecture, and digital media—explore the role of "skin" as outer surface and structural form. Skin is the frontier of physical contact from person to person and from person to built environment. In contemporary design, surfaces have become active, flexible interfaces that connect and contain bodies, objects, and spaces. surfaces, interfaces, product design, fashion, furniture design, Architecture, digital media, exhibitions