Public Lecture: Join us as Ralph Rucci talks about his creative process, inspiration, and the role of the hand in his work. About the Design by Hand series: Launched in fall 2013 with the iconic Finnish brand Marimekko, the Design by Hand series focuses on the craftsmanship, innovations, and merits of contemporary global designers. Special...

Announcing “Game Changers,” a new series of design conversations with influential and innovative practitioners, thinkers, and industry leaders across design disciplines. The series launches on April 21, with a conversation between Cooper Hewitt Senior Curator of Contemporary Design Ellen Lupton and game changer Tim Brown, the CEO and President of IDEO, a world-renowned innovation and...

Personal 3D printing technologies are moving design and manufacturing into the hands of users, allowing makers to create—and share—digital files for producing physical objects. Hacking, long associated with penetrating the secrets of software, has extended its conquest to the world of physical things. Users are now taking apart and reassembling consumer products, treating the world...

This provocative poster was designed in 1997, one year after the US Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act. Known simply as “DOMA,” the Act barred same-sex married couples from being recognized by federal law. The poster is the work of Dyke Action Machine!, a New York activist duo consisting of photographer Sue Schaffner and...

Advanced robotic prosthetics are breaking down the difference between human and machine, while consumer products equipped with cameras, sensors, and software seek to observe and learn from our behavior. As smart phones, thermostats, and robotic vacuum cleaners become more autonomous and lifelike, people develop emotional relationships with them. Join Cooper Hewitt curator Ellen Lupton as...

Don’t miss the world premiere of Gael Towey’s latest short film, Maira Kalman: My Favorite Things. The film profiles renowned visual storyteller Maira Kalman as she curates Maira Kalman Selects, one of our ten inaugural exhibitions. On the occasion of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, the film will delight you with the story of his pocket watch—one...

Last year, our librarian Stephen Van Dyk picked up this slender blue hardcover at a rare book auction. He didn’t know exactly what a “chakra” was, but still he found the worn old book remarkable, if not a bit weird, for its striking illustrations of big painted circles. I was surprised to see this book...

Join Cooper Hewitt curators Sarah Coffin and Gail Davidson, and Lockwood de Forest scholar Roberta Mayer for three presentations celebrating the Carnegie Mansion’s newly restored Teak Room. Topics covered will include De Forest’s clients and earlier commissions, his relationship with Frederic Church, his interest in India and sources for the Teak Room commission.

Full remarks from Smithsonian leadership and New York City government officials at the grand-reopening of the Cooper Hewitt museum on December 12th, 2014.