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

People are seated in front of a large, high-end audio system, including speakers, subwoofer, and turntable setup. with details in light-colored wood. The system is set up in a room with ornate wood architecture details and a wide window.
06/11
Thursday
Thu. June 11, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Join guitarist, composer, and recording artist Mary Halvorson as she activates Devon Turnbull’s immersive sound installation HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. Sharing her distinctive sound and innovative approach to guitar, Halvorson will play a special selection of music to be heard through Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
People are seated in front of a large, high-end audio system, including speakers, subwoofer, and turntable setup. with details in light-colored wood. The system is set up in a room with ornate wood architecture details and a wide window.
06/13
Saturday
Sat. June 13, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Known under his creative pseudonym OJAS, Devon Turnbull handcrafts high-fidelity audio systems designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion. Join friends and members of the OJAS team as they activate the immersive sound installation, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. They will play music specifically selected to be heard through this large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Older adults seated in a dance studio with their arms raised in expressive dance
06/14
Sunday
Sun. June 14, 2026
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET
How can design inspire movement? Join us on Sunday, June 14 for a two-part program inspired by Art of Noise. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
06/16
Tuesday
Tue. June 16, 2026
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET
Join us for a virtual lunchtime talk with Jules Sherman, winner of the 2025 National Design Award in Product Design, as she reflects on how her design practice has evolved over the past decade. Drawing from her work in medical device design and healthcare innovation, Sherman will share the fundamentals of her process—tracing her early use of hand-drawn sketches to her current use of AI tools. She will also discuss what it means to design for patients and families, and how designers can better understand and serve the people at the heart of their work. After her presentation, Sherman will have an intimate conversation with Amber Bravo, who leads Story Studio at Figma, a cloud-based digital design and collaboration tool that Sherman uses in her human-computer interaction studies. Together, they’ll discuss AI’s role in supporting a designer’s need for speed and integration while breaking down barriers to using various software and coding tools.  .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Interior view of a large, high-end audio system, including speakers, subwoofer, and turntable setup. with details in light-colored wood. The system is set up in a room with ornate wood architecture details and a wide window.
06/16
Tuesday
Tue. June 16, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Join audio mastering and vinyl cutting engineer Frederic Stader as he activates Devon Turnbull’s immersive sound installation HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. Stader will play music specifically selected to be heard through Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening.  .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Interior view of a large, high-end audio system, including speakers, subwoofer, and turntable setup. with details in light-colored wood. The system is set up in a room with ornate wood architecture details and a wide window.
06/18
Thursday
Thu. June 18, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Join audio mastering and vinyl cutting engineer Frederic Stader as he activates Devon Turnbull’s immersive sound installation HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. Stader will play music specifically selected to be heard through Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening.  .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
Interior view of a large, high-end audio system, including speakers, subwoofer, and turntable setup. with details in light-colored wood. The system is set up in a room with ornate wood architecture details and a wide window.
06/19
Friday
Fri. June 19, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Join musician, recording engineer, and founder of record label M.A Recordings Todd Garfinkle as he activates Devon Turnbull’s immersive sound installation HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. Known for his extensive work at M.A making high quality recordings of live music across a variety of genres and settings, Garfinkle will play music specifically selected to be heard through Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt.    Designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening.  .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
People are seated in front of a large, high-end audio system, including speakers, subwoofer, and turntable setup. with details in light-colored wood. The system is set up in a room with ornate wood architecture details and a wide window.
06/20
Saturday
Sat. June 20, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Known under his creative pseudonym OJAS, Devon Turnbull handcrafts high-fidelity audio systems designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion. Join friends and members of the OJAS team as they activate the immersive sound installation, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. They will play music specifically selected to be heard through this large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
People are seated in front of a large, high-end audio system, including speakers, subwoofer, and turntable setup. with details in light-colored wood. The system is set up in a room with ornate wood architecture details and a wide window.
06/23
Tuesday
Tue. June 23, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Join jazz musician, saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Nubya Garcia as she activates Devon Turnbull’s immersive sound installation HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. Known for her modern jazz music, Garcia will play music specifically selected to be heard through Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening. .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
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