Adult Programs

A photograph of a light skinned adult with short brown hair leans over a table to demonstrate an activity to an older, dark sinned adult who sits across from her. To the right of the adult sitting a dark-skinned adult with closely shaved white hair and gold rimmed glasses is painting a small white object. In the background there are other adults sitting around a table.

Adult programs

As the nation’s design museum, Cooper Hewitt offers a range of adult public programs and events that engage with our exhibitions and collections through exploring contemporary and historic design topics. From lectures and panel discussions to studio visits and hands-on workshops, our programming aims to share the power and possibilities of design.

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For information about mansion and exhibition tours, please visit Tours.

 

Upcoming Adult Programs

To see programs for all age levels, view our Calendar.

Upcoming Events

11/13
Friday
Fri. November 13, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
In this session, we’ll sketch in the galleries of the Frederic Church in Jamaica exhibition, which explores the painter’s extraordinary sketches of the Jamaican landscape during his 1865 journey to the island. The exhibition draws from Cooper Hewitt’s holdings of over 2,000 of the artist’s oil and graphite sketches—the largest collection of Church works in the world. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Free with museum admission
11/16
Monday
Mon. November 16, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET
Join Cooper Hewitt for a talk with Emerging Designer winner Mattaforma—the latest program in a new series spotlighting the 2026 National Design Award winners in conversation with Director Maria Nicanor. Mattaforma is a New York–based architecture and research studio founded by Lindsey Wikstrom that is redefining sustainable design through mass-timber innovation and healthy materials. Through writing, teaching, and advocacy, the studio invites policymakers, schoolchildren, and neighbors to co-author plant-based futures where climate action is tangible, communal, and joyful. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
11/18
Wednesday
Wed. November 18, 2026
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET
Every Wednesday, join us in the historic Carnegie Library for At the Hearth, a drop-in program held from 5:00-6:00 p.m. during the museum’s Pay What You Wish hour. Hosted by Cooper Hewitt curators, educators, conservators, and librarians, come sit by the fireplace for intimate conversations and fresh perspectives from makers, designers, thinkers, and writers deeply engaged in design. During this At the Hearth, make a pinch pot, a simple hand-built clay vessel, with Greenwich House Pottery while discussing how the hands-on encompasses everything from artists-in-residences to the call for universal daycare. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Pay What You Wish
11/19
Thursday
Thu. November 19, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
Join Cooper Hewitt for a talk with Fashion Design winner Josh Tafoya—an intimate series spotlighting the 2026 National Design Award winners in conversation with Director Maria Nicanor. Josh Tafoya is a textile artist redefining the "Southwestern" aesthetic and American fashion from an Indigenous perspective. Drawing on his Genízaro, Spanish, and Chicano heritage, Tafoya blends ancestral knowledge of Rio Grande Valley weaving with contemporary fashion innovation to ensure the traditional cultural crafts of New Mexico live on in a contemporary world. Selections from Josh Tafoya's work will be on view before and after the conversation, giving guests a chance to see the garments up close. The evening closes with a short performance featuring an excerpt from his September New York Indigenous Fashion Week show. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Botanical study sketches showing views of four different plants in Jamaica.
11/20
Friday
Fri. November 20, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
Join us for a sensory-friendly evening of structured fun at Cooper Hewitt. Explore sketching from nature in the Church in Jamaica exhibition with interactive experiences, conversation, and creativity.  .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
11/25
Wednesday
Wed. November 25, 2026
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET
Every Wednesday, join us in the historic Carnegie Library for At the Hearth, a drop-in program held from 5:00-6:00 p.m. during the museum’s Pay What You Wish hour. Hosted by Cooper Hewitt curators, educators, conservators, and librarians, come sit by the fireplace for intimate conversations and fresh perspectives from makers, designers, thinkers, and writers deeply engaged in design. During this At the Hearth, we’ll focus on Cooper Hewitt’s permanent collection, which includes a multitude of dinnerware and food serving objects. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Pay What You Wish
01/16
Saturday
Sat. January 16, 2027
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Join designer Gina Gregorio for a hands-on workshop exploring the power of repetition through collaborative block printing. Drawing inspiration from repeating patterns found throughout Cooper Hewitt’s collection, participants will use custom-made printing blocks to create dynamic patterned fabric.  .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128

 

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