Public Programs

Join Cooper Hewitt for the next Making Home Saturday Series where we consider the hidden homes of our DNA with artist and biohacker Dr. Heather Dewey-Hagborg. In Session 1, Dewey-Hagborg will discuss her installation and soundtrack for Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial, which explores the architectural and cultural footprint of so-called “biobanks.” Dewey-Hagborg will tell the story of her own investigative efforts to discover her “blood spot card”—the blood drawn at birth from every newborn to be screened for disorders. After her presentation, Dewey-Hagborg will be joined by biologist Katayoun Chamany for a brief conversation. View full event details here.

Join Cooper Hewitt for the next Making Home Saturday Series where we consider the hidden homes of our DNA with artist and biohacker Dr. Heather Dewey-Hagborg. For Session 2, enjoy a live performance of “Correspondence Song,” a musical version of Dewey-Hagborg’s exchanges with medical institutions and third parties as she attempts to track down her blood samples. The performance, will include voice and acoustic instruments performed by composer Niki Main, Danielle Buonaiuto, Jules Biber, and Jessica Tsang. The performance will take place on the second floor of the museum after a presentation by Dewey-Hagborg in Session 1. It is standing room only and first come first served.  View full event details here.

Experience Cooper Hewitt’s collection and exhibitions through drawing! In this session, we'll sketch in the galleries of Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial, which explores design’s role in shaping the physical and emotional experiences of home across the United States, US Territories, and Tribal Nations. The exhibition is the seventh offering in the museum’s Design Triennial series, which was established in 2000 to address the most urgent topics of the time through the lens of design. This exhibition is full of visual imagery to spark the imagination for sketching!  View full event details here.

As hospital access transforms across the United States, designers and architects are facilitating safe alternative spaces, including the home, for birthing and aging. Despite a need for new approaches to spaces for medical care, their efforts are faced with considerable legal, financial, and medical challenges. This program will bring together Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial participants and architects Lori A. Brown and Cynthia Shonaiya for a panel discussion on the statistics, procedures, and hurdles one faces when choosing to birth or age in alternative spaces during vulnerable stages of life. View full event details here.