This May, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum presents the fifth installment of Design by Hand, a biannual series of public programs that celebrate the craftsmanship, innovations and merits of pioneering design organizations. Held May 16–18 during NYCxDesign, the spring series features Humberto Campana of the Campana Brothers, who, along with creative staff from Estudio Campana, will lead a range of educational offerings for all ages.
“As evident in their conceptual and provocative interpretation of Brazilian culture, the Campana Brothers are committed to the teaching and assimilation of traditional handcraft into the dialogue around contemporary design,” said Caroline Baumann, director of Cooper Hewitt. “Having collaborated with Humberto and his brother Fernando on the acclaimed ‘Campana Brothers Selects’ exhibition in 2008, I am delighted our audiences now will have this opportunity to interact and learn from this brilliantly creative design studio.”
“The Maison is pleased to continue its partnership with Cooper Hewitt as it shares the exceptional work of the Campana Brothers through this season’s Design by Hand series,” said Alain Bernard, President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, Americas. “The manner in which transformation and reinvention are incorporated into the Campanas’ design resonates with the technical inventiveness of the Maison along with our desire to capture the lightness and movement of nature through many of our creations.”
Campana will give a keynote lecture on the studio’s history and design process May 16, followed by a conversation with Baumann. Additional Design by Hand programs include a workshop for families on creating a nightlight and workshops for college students and adults on making a piece of furniture or decorative object using natural and synthetic materials.
Launched in partnership with Van Cleef & Arpels in 2013, previous series have featured programs with Pixar Animations Studios (2015), Ralph Rucci (2015), Heath Ceramics (2014) and Marimekko (2013).
Design by Hand is made possible by the support of Van Cleef & Arpels.
DESIGN BY HAND PROGRAMS
Family Workshop | Create Your Own Nightlight
Monday, May 16; 10–11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (2 East 91st St., New York)
Inspired by the Campana Brothers’ lighting-fixture designs that feature natural and manmade materials wrapped around a central point of light, children ages 2–5 will work with a parent or guardian to design and decorate a battery-powered nightlight. Free; registration required.
Design by Hand Lecture with Humberto Campana
Monday, May 16; 6:30–8 p.m.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (2 East 91st St., New York)
Humberto Campana discusses Estudio Campana’s work with Caroline Baumann, director of Cooper Hewitt. $15 general admission, $10 Cooper Hewitt members, $8 students; registration required.
Student Product Design Workshop
Tuesday, May 17; 4–6 p.m.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (2 East 91st St., New York)
Students work alongside designers from Estudio Campana to create a piece of furniture or decorative object using unusual natural and synthetic materials. Open to New York City high school students grades 9–12 and college students ages 18–23. Free; registration required.
Adult Product Design Workshop
Wednesday, May 18; 6–8 p.m.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (2 East 91st St., New York)
Participants work alongside designers from Estudio Campana to create a piece of furniture or decorative object using unusual natural and synthetic materials. Ages 18 and up. $20 general admission, $15 Cooper Hewitt members, $10 students; registration required.
PROGRAM REGISTRATION
All programs require advance registration at cooperhewitt.org/events.
ABOUT THE CAMPANA BROTHERS
The Campana Brothers, Fernando (b. 1961) and Humberto (b. 1953), were born in Brotas, a city outside of São Paulo. Together, they founded Estudio Campana in 1983. The São Paulo-based design firm has explored a wide range of disciplines, from architecture and landscape design to fashion and interior design. In 2002, Estudio Campana started crafting its own line of limited editions and unique handmade pieces. Work by the Campana Brothers is included in the permanent collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum as well as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Musée Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany.
ABOUT COOPER HEWITT, SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM
Founded in 1897, Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. On Dec. 12, 2014, Cooper Hewitt reopened in the renovated and restored Carnegie Mansion, which offers 60 percent more exhibition space to showcase one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence. The renovation of the Carnegie Mansion and museum campus was recognized with LEED Silver certification. Currently on view are nine exhibitions and installations featuring hundreds of objects throughout four floors of the mansion, including the fifth installment of the museum’s contemporary design exhibition series, “Beauty―Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial,” “Thom Browne Selects” and “Pixar: The Design of Story.” Visitors can experience a full range of new interactive capabilities, including the opportunity to explore the collection digitally on ultra-high-definition touch-screen tables, draw their own designs in the Immersion Room and address design problems in the Process Lab.
ABOUT VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Van Cleef & Arpels was born in Paris’ Place Vendôme in 1906, following Alfred Van Cleef’s marriage to Estelle Arpels in 1895. Always striving for excellence, the Maison has become a worldwide reference through its unique designs, its choice of exceptional stones and its virtuoso craftsmanship, offering jewels and timepieces that tell stories and bring enchantment to life. In 2011, Cooper Hewitt mounted the exhibition “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels,” which explored the historical significance of the house’s contributions to jewelry design in the 20th century.
