Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum located in New York City, New York, United States, and is one of the nineteen museums of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum was founded in 1897 by Eleanor Garnier Hewitt, Sarah Cooper Hewitt, and Amy Hewitt Green, granddaughters of Peter Cooper, with the goal of promoting design education and appreciation. The museum is named after Peter Cooper and his daughter Sarah Cooper Hewitt, and is supported by the Smithsonian Institution and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Board of Trustees. The museum's collection and exhibitions have been influenced by the work of designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

● History

The museum's history dates back to 1897, when it was founded as the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration. The museum was established with the goal of promoting design education and appreciation, and was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and the work of designers such as William Morris and John Ruskin. In 1967, the museum was renamed the Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design, and in 1976, it became part of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum has undergone several renovations and expansions, including a major renovation in 2014 led by Gluckman Tang Architects and Beyer Blinder Belle. The museum's history has also been influenced by the work of curators such as Gail Davidson, Matilda McQuaid, and Cynthia Trope, who have worked with designers such as Issey Miyake, Ettore Sottsass, and Alessi.

● Collections

The museum's collections include over 210,000 objects, ranging from ancient Egyptian and Roman artifacts to contemporary designs by Apple Inc., Nike, Inc., and Herman Miller. The collections are organized into several departments, including the Department of Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design, the Department of Product Design and Decorative Arts, and the Department of Textiles. The museum's collections have been influenced by the work of designers such as Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Marcel Breuer, and include objects such as the Tulip Table and the Womb Chair. The museum also has a significant collection of design posters, including works by Alphonse Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Paul Rand.

● Exhibitions

The museum hosts several exhibitions each year, showcasing a range of design topics and themes. Recent exhibitions have included "Design and the Elastic Mind", "Design for the Other 90%", and "The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s". The museum has also hosted exhibitions on the work of individual designers, such as "Ettore Sottsass: Design Radical", "Issey Miyake: Making Things", and "Frank Lloyd Wright: Designs for an American Landscape". The museum's exhibitions have been influenced by the work of curators such as Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator at the Museum of Modern Art, and Ellen Lupton, Senior Curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Design Museum (London), and the Museum of Arts and Design.

● Building and Gardens

The museum is located in the Andrew Carnegie Mansion, a National Historic Landmark building designed by Babb, Cook & Willard in 1902. The building was donated to the museum by Andrew Carnegie in 1972, and has undergone several renovations and expansions, including a major renovation in 2014. The museum's gardens, designed by Mathew Carey, include a variety of plants and flowers, and offer a peaceful oasis in the midst of Manhattan. The building and gardens have been influenced by the work of architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, and I.M. Pei, and have been recognized with awards such as the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the National Design Award.

● Education and Programs

The museum offers a range of educational programs and activities, including workshops, lectures, and tours. The museum's education programs are designed to promote design literacy and appreciation, and are targeted at a range of audiences, from K-12 students to adult learners. The museum has also developed a range of digital resources, including online exhibitions and educational materials, in collaboration with institutions such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The museum's education programs have been influenced by the work of educators such as John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Howard Gardner, and have been recognized with awards such as the National Medal of Arts and the Smithsonian Education Award.

● Awards and Recognition

The museum has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the National Design Award, the Smithsonian Education Award, and the American Institute of Architects' Honor Award. The museum has also been recognized for its commitment to sustainability and accessibility, and has received awards such as the LEED Gold certification and the Americans with Disabilities Act's Accessibility Award. The museum's staff, including Caroline Baumann, Director of the museum, and Matilda McQuaid, Deputy Director of the museum, have also received awards and recognition for their contributions to the field of design, including the National Design Award and the AIGA Medal. The museum has also been recognized by institutions such as the American Alliance of Museums, the International Council of Museums, and the World Design Organization.