Behind the Design

The illustration has three vertical sections. Section 1: A hand-colored drawing shows 6 lines drawn in a spiral. Each line is labeled with a year and sum, showing the growing value of the household assets of Black Americans in the state of Georgia, 1875–1899. The first line (pink) is short, labeled $21,186. The last line (red) is very long, labeled $1,434,975. Section 2: A detail of a map of the state of Georgia has a number written in each county. Section 3: A warm-toned black-and-white portrait photograph shows a person with a medium complexion, high forehead, short dark hair, curved mustache, and goatee; he is dressed in a suit coat, vest, and bow tie.
02/09
Wednesday
Wed. February 9, 2022
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
At the Paris World Fair of 1900, W.E.B. Du Bois used groundbreaking statistical graphics to document the accomplishments of Black Americans and life inside “the Veil” of systemic oppression. In Fall 2022, the Library of Congress will lend a selection of these rare data visualizations to Cooper Hewitt’s Recharting Modern Design exhibition, allowing visitors to... .
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Virtual Program
03/02
Wednesday
Wed. March 2, 2022
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
Graphic designer E. McKnight Kauffer (American, 1890–1954) integrated avant-garde style into modern life, designing everything from posters and book covers to carpets, film titles, theatrical productions, and more. Go beneath the surface of the work with curators Caitlin Condell and Emily M. Orr to discover aspects of Kauffer’s life, design process, and creative struggles. The... .
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Virtual Event
03/30
Wednesday
Wed. March 30, 2022
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
What is Bauhaus typography, and why does it matter? Take a virtual tour of Letterform Archive’s exhibition Bauhaus Typography at 100, and get up close and personal with little-known works from the collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Look at key pieces of graphic design and learn how (and why) they were made. Discover... .
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Virtual Event
04/27
Wednesday
Wed. April 27, 2022
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
During the COVID-19 pandemic, designers, cartographers, and visual journalists visualized the invisible contours of an unfolding crisis. Organizations like The New York Times and Policy Map as well as individual artists and designers tracked the spread of the virus and exposed demographic inequities. Expanding on Cooper Hewitt’s current exhibition Design and Healing: Creative Responses to... .
Event Address:
Virtual Program