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Calling all high school students! Join multi‑disciplinary artist Devon Turnbull in a hands-on workshop to experiment with the building blocks of audio and create your own working speaker. Turnbull’s immersive sound installation, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, is currently on view at Cooper Hewitt. 

In this hands‑on workshop, explore how a speaker is constructed and what makes it function. Working with individual components—the magnet, coil, and cone— you’ll assemble each part to build your own fully operating loudspeaker driver.

Media release form required for this workshop. Please have waiver signed by a parent or guardian.  

Teen Drop-In programs are developed for teens only; no adults are permitted.     

TEEN DROP-IN

Teen Drop-In is a series of free, drop-in workshops for high school students exploring techniques, strategies, and careers in design. No prior experience required—just bring yourself and a creative mindset.    

ABOUT DEVON TURNBULL

Known under his creative pseudonym OJAS, Turnbull is a Brooklyn-based artist and audio engineer. He handcrafts high-fidelity audio systems—monolithic works of functional sculpture that seek to express the natural and emotional essence of music. His work is the result of a lifelong dedication to experimentation, engineering, and explorations in the audio underground. 

His installations have appeared in museums and galleries such as SFMOMA, Cooper Hewitt, and Lisson Gallery; public spaces including Public Records, the Nine Orchard Hotel,  Patina Osaka, and Supreme stores worldwide; as well as the private collections of some of the world’s top musicians and music producers. Through all these projects, Turnbull’s unwavering pursuit of sonic purity remains his defining hallmark. 

Accessibility & What to Expect 

  • Format: This in-person program will be a hands-on design drop-in workshop. No previous design experience is required. All materials are included. A ‘Know Before You Go’ guide is available. 
  • About the space: This program will take place in Cooper Hewitt’s Lecture Room on the ground floor of the museum. It is fully wheelchair accessible. In the Lecture Room, there will be group seating at tables. There is an accessible restroom on the same floor. Read more about accessibility at Cooper Hewitt. 
  • Accommodations: If we can provide services to support your participation, email us at CHEducation@si.edu. Please make your request as far in advance as possible—preferably at least ten days before the program date. 

Support 

Design learning at Cooper Hewitt is made possible by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Generous support is also provided by the Smithsonian Institution’s Together We Thrive initiatives.