The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will launch the programming series Design by Hand, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, from fall 2013 through spring 2017. This new series of bi-annual educational conversations and workshops will focus on the craftsmanship, innovations and merits of contemporary global designers. Each week of immersion programming will spotlight a pioneering design organization, beginning with the iconic Finnish brand Marimekko in fall 2013. Other featured firms throughout the series include Heath Ceramics (spring 2014) and the jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels (fall 2014).
“We are thrilled to partner once again with Van Cleef & Arpels following the outstanding success of the museum’s ‘Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels’ exhibition and the corresponding sold-out public programs,” said Caroline Baumann, director of the museum. “With our world immersed in technology, this series reaffirms the important role the human hand plays in the design process, from watercolor sketching at Marimekko to hand-thrown prototypes at Heath Ceramics.”
“Pioneering techniques and designs, combined with exquisite hand craftsmanship, are at the core of Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewelry,” said Nicolas Bos, global president and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. “We are delighted to work again with Cooper-Hewitt to provide instruction and insight on design techniques and processes from various industries, from fashion and graphic design to product design.”
Special programs will be developed to reach each of the museum’s core audiences—university students, high school students, adults and families. The main programming component for each week will feature a teen hands-on workshop, adult workshop, college workshop, public lecture and family workshops.
The fall Design by Hand public programs with Marimekko include:
Teen Workshop: Inspired by Life; Tuesday, Nov. 5; 4:00 p.m.
Cooper-Hewitt Design Center (111 Central Park North, New York)
Cooper-Hewitt’s teen programs are essential to the museum’s goal of developing the designers of tomorrow. This hands-on print workshop will focus on creating prints inspired by everyday life. The teens will work with Marimekko designers to translate colors, patterns and shapes into actual prints. Free.
University-level Workshop: Dressing Up People and Objects; Wednesday, Nov. 6; 2:00 p.m.
Cooper-Hewitt Design Center (111 Central Park North, New York)
Students will work side by side with Marimekko designers to learn how to wrap three dimensional forms with patterns and colors. Free.
Adult Hands-on Workshop: Design Storytelling; Wednesday, Nov. 6; 6:30 p.m.
Cooper-Hewitt Design Center (111 Central Park North, New York)
Marimekko designers will discuss powerful examples of storytelling through the firm’s prints and lead a hands-on print workshop for participants to explore the theme in their own work. Cooper-Hewitt members, $25; general admission, $50.
Public Lecture: The Spirit of Marimekko Design; Thursday, Nov. 7; 6:30 p.m.
WNYC Greene Space (44 Charlton Street, New York)
The public program will feature a discussion about Marimekko’s approach to design, including its design language of colors, patterns and shapes. The program will be webcast live and the broadcast will be archived on Cooper-Hewitt’s website. General admission, $10; senior citizens, $8. Cooper-Hewitt members and students are admitted free with registration.
Family Workshops: Colors, Patterns and Shapes; Saturday, Nov. 9; 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Cooper-Hewitt Design Center (111 Central Park North, New York)
These family workshops will be inspired by Marimekko’s work and will feature a creative, hands-on program, led by museum educators. Free.
Program Registration
All programs require advance registration at www.cooperhewitt.org/events. For further information, call (212) 849-8353.
Design by Hand is made possible by the support of Van Cleef & Arpels.
About the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Founded in 1897, Cooper-Hewitt is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. The museum presents compelling perspectives on the impact of design on daily life through active educational programs, exhibitions and publications.
Cooper-Hewitt’s main facility, housed in the Carnegie Mansion, is undergoing renovation as part of a $64 million capital campaign that includes enlarged and enhanced facilities for exhibitions, collections display, education programming and the National Design Library, and an increased endowment. During the renovation, Cooper-Hewitt’s usual schedule of exhibitions, education programs and events will be staged at various off-site locations. The renovated facility will reopen in fall 2014.
About Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels was established in Paris’ Place Vendôme in 1906, following Alfred Van Cleef’s marriage to Estelle Arpels in 1895. Van Cleef & Arpels has become a worldwide reference through its creative designs, its choice of exceptional stones and its virtuoso craftsmanship. In 2011, Cooper-Hewitt mounted the exhibition “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels,” which explored the historical significance of the house’s contributions to jewelry design in the 20th century.
