Recent Talks and Presentations
THE THREAD OF THE STORY: DOROTHY LIEBES
How can an archive draw a map through a nearly forgotten designer’s four-decade long career? How can an 8 x 10 inch fabric swatch embody a design era, from material choices to color palette? What role can invoices and order books play in filling in key gaps and bringing that era to life?
Designer Dorothy Liebes (1897–1972) has been called “the greatest modern weaver” and “the mother of the 20th century palette,” yet her outsized and enduring contributions to American modern design remain largely unknown. Join us to celebrate the recently-completed digitization of the Dorothy Liebes Papers at Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art, made possible by The Coby Foundation—and explore some of the ways they illuminate Cooper Hewitt’s collections.
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN LEARNING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC VIRTUAL PANEL
How do you build a better world? How can your creativity improve your community? What does it take to bring bold ideas to life? These are just a few of the questions educators, parents, and students learn to solve in a creative and innovative way with methods adapted from the worlds of design and architecture. Through engaging design- and architecture-based lessons and activities, students learn critical thinking skills and nurture their creativity while gaining a richer understanding of their potential to shape the world around them.
In this webinar, experts on both sides of the Atlantic (Helsinki and New York) will discuss pedagogical methods of architecture and design in formal education from pre-school to secondary education (K12).
STUDENTS AS PROBLEM SOLVERS: ADDRESSING REAL WORLD PROBLEMS TO DESIGN A BETTER FUTURE
In this session, learn how to use design and the design process to help students make change for the better in their communities and beyond with the Smithsonian Learning Lab and Cooper Hewitt's suite of National High School Design Competition materials. These resources provide STEAM-based Design Challenges, supported by step-by-step tools, that empower students to respond to real world challenges. We’ll model teaching techniques, demo how to use the Lab to adapt materials and inspire students with resources from across the Smithsonian, and share student opportunities through the Design Competition.