Adult Programs

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. Visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply in listening. View full event details here.

Join Chicago-based recording company International Anthem for a series of listening experiences. Featuring analog tape reels printed from original masters—including recent, new, and upcoming releases—each session takes place inside Devon Turnbull’s immersive sound installation HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3.  For this session, guitarist, composer, and bandleader Jeff Parker will activate Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Together with International Anthem co-founder Scottie McNiece, Parker will play the new album Happy Today, as well as other recent albums by Parker and the ETA IVtet. View full event details here.

Join Chicago-based recording company International Anthem for the final session in a series of listening experiences. Featuring analog tape reels printed from original masters—including recent, new, and upcoming releases—each session takes place inside Devon Turnbull’s immersive sound installation HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3.  For this session, New York-based composer, trombonist, and vocalist Kalia Vandever will activate Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system located in the historic Carnegie Library at Cooper Hewitt. Together with International Anthem co-founder Scottie McNiece, Vandever will play their new International Anthem debut album Mana, plus a short live solo. See calendar for other International Anthem listening opportunities including Gregory Uhlmann on Thursday, April 23; BODY SOUND on Friday, April 24; and Jeff Parker on Monday, May 11. View full event details here.

Join Cooper Hewitt for a talk with Design Visionary Award winner Robert Earl Paige—the first program in a new series spotlighting the 2026 National Design Award winners in conversation with Director Maria Nicanor. Paige is an artist, designer, and educator whose work disregards boundaries between fine art, craft, and design. A participant in the Black Arts Movement, Paige champions community engagement in art and culture, and his practice reflects a love of color, a commitment to design principles, and a belief in making art accessible for everyday people. Repurposing is central to his work, transforming found fibers, cardboard, and paper into new creations that invite others to embrace curiosity and making. View full event details here.

Join Cooper Hewitt for a talk with Communication Design winner Thought Matter—the second program in a new series spotlighting the 2026 National Design Award winners in conversation with Director Maria Nicanor. Thought Matter is a New York–based studio working at the intersection of design and civic life. Founded in 2015 by Tom Jaffe and led by Jessie McGuire, the studio uncovers untold stories and merges the personal and the political—using design to reframe narratives, shift perspectives, and shape the future. View full event details here.

Experience Cooper Hewitt’s collection and exhibitions through drawing In this session, we’ll sketch in the galleries of the Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne exhibition, which explores the combination of human skill and mechanical precision that transform raw materials into objects as diverse as pencils, semiconductors, pianos, and rockets. This exhibition is full of visual imagery to spark the imagination... View full event details here.

Experience Cooper Hewitt’s collection and exhibitions through drawing In this session, we’ll sketch in the galleries of the Art of Noise exhibition, which explores one hundred years of designs for sound. This exhibition is full of visual imagery to spark the imagination for sketching!   Drawing prompts, seating, and materials will be provided. Space is limited; first come, first... View full event details here.

Join Cooper Hewitt for a talk with Fashion Design winner Josh Tafoya—the third program in a new 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. View full event details here.