Director's Talks

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. View full event details here.

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. View full event details here.