To celebrate the opening of Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color (May 11, 2018-January 13, 2019), Object of the Day this month will feature colorful objects from the exhibition. Today’s post was originally published on October 29th, 2016.    A cube split into eight floating blocks, situated in isometric perspective. Each block comprised of 49...

In this video, Eileen Fisher and Patagonia’s Nellie Cohen discuss how their organizations have innovated the reuse of textiles in the production process and transformed “closed cycle” design into a profitable business model.

Architect and 2016 National Design Award winner for Lifetime Achievement Moshe Safdie discusses the four design principles that have guided his work over the past five decades and how they relate to the evolution of architecture in the era of globalization. Safdie sheds light on the ramifications of “megascale” and “megastructure,” examining scale, site, buildability,...

U.S. public libraries are redefining and expanding their roles in civic life to ensure community access to the vital information and tools needed to learn, create, and improve lives. Join us for a conversation on public libraries as hubs for civic engagement, with a focus on the innovative neighborhood libraries featured in the exhibition By...

Using design objects from the current exhibition Energizing the Everyday: Gifts from the George R. Kravis II Collection and works from Cooper Hewitt’s collection, Curatorial Director Cara McCarty examines how scientific inquiry, technology, and our persistent fascination with manipulating materials—from plastics and aluminum to silicon chips and LCDs—have impacted modern industrial design, as well as...

Across the United States, designers are using cognitive computing and data analysis to help American cities meet the needs of their diverse populations. Tiffany Chu, Code for America fellow and cofounder of the public transport data initiative Remix; Adam Cutler, distinguished designer at IBM Design; and Sarah Williams, director of MIT’s Civic Data Design Lab...

How do designers best understand and meet the needs of underserved communities? What practices foster deeper insight and promote new creative thinking? In conjunction with the exhibition By the People: Designing a Better America, Cooper Hewitt and Pratt Institute, with additional support from CaringKind, host a presentation and discussion of these questions and more with...

Talk by Amy Peterson, cofounder and CEO, and Patricia Caldwell, production manager, of the Detroit-based jewelry design studio Rebel Nell. Conversation to follow with Cynthia E. Smith, Curator of Socially Responsible Design and curator of the exhibition By the People: Designing a Better America.

Talk by Deanna Van Buren, architect and coordinator of the Designing Justice + Designing Spaces project. This talk is a part of Autodesk’s Design Night. Designing Justice+Designing Spaces facilitates the design of more restorative and healing criminal-justice environments through community engagement in jails and prisons. An alternative to the current punitive-justice system—the United States has...

Louis Comfort Tiffany used exotic motifs, extraordinary color, and abstracted forms in his lamps and art glass to become one of the most instrumental figures in American design history. While the Tiffany Studios stopped producing goods almost a century ago, the meticulous craftsmanship that went into the making of the studio’s lamps and vases has...

Design Talk on the next generation tools of resilience and the design required to meet social, economic, and climate change challenges.

Lecture by Hubert Barrère, Art Director of Maison Lesage, the venerable French embroidery company. Discussion follows with Matilda McQuaid, Deputy Curatorial Director and Head of Textiles. For nearly a century, Maison Lesage has created extraordinary embroidered designs for Elsa Schiaparelli, Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, and many other revered designers. In 2002, Chanel acquired Maison Lesage...

Gala held in honor of the 2016 National Design Award winners. The National Design Awards were conceived by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum to honor lasting achievement in American design. The Awards are bestowed in recognition of excellence, innovation, and enhancement of the quality of life. First launched at the White House in 2000 as...

Opening Remarks by Smithsonian’s Acting Provost and Under Secretary for Museums and Research, Richard Kurin, and Cooper Hewitt’s Director, Caroline Baumann. Gala held in honor of the 2016 National Design Award winners. The National Design Awards were conceived by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum to honor lasting achievement in American design. The Awards are bestowed...

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum hosts its 11th annual Teen Design Fair, where teens talk with top designers working in the fields of fashion, product design, architecture, graphic design, and more. Held in the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. Kim Robledo-Diga, Deputy Director of Education...