Cooper-Hewitt Exhibition Galleries to Close July 4 for Two-Year Renovation

The exhibition galleries at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will close Monday, July 4, as the museum embarks on an extensive renovation and expansion. Admission to the museum will be free of charge 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 4 to mark the closing of the final exhibition, “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels.” Visitors can continue to enjoy the museum’s Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden and the Shop at Cooper-Hewitt, which will remain open this summer without an admission fee.

Beginning July 5, the popular “Target Design Kids: Imagination Playground” program series will be held daily from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., weather permitting. A breakthrough play space designed by architect David Rockwell, the Imagination Playground encourages child-directed, unstructured free play through the use of giant foam blocks, mats and fabric. Tuesdays will feature storytelling and other special activities. All programs are free of charge.

Housed in the Carnegie Mansion, the museum’s main facility will undergo renovation and expansion, beginning this fall, as part of a $64 million capital campaign that includes enlarged and enhanced facilities for exhibitions, collections display, education programming and the National Design Library, and an increased endowment. When the museum reopens in 2013, gallery space will increase by 60 percent. During the renovation, Cooper-Hewitt’s usual schedule of engaging exhibitions, education programs and events will be staged at various off-site locations. 

“This is an incredibly exciting time at Cooper-Hewitt as we prepare for the largest renovation in the museum’s history,” said Director Bill Moggridge. “We’re delighted to present our exhibitions and education programming around New York during the renovation, and look forward to returning in 2013 to a Carnegie Mansion better able to accommodate our growing audiences and increased demands for space.”

Cooper-Hewitt Off-Site Exhibitions

“Design with the Other 90%: Cities,” the second in a series of themed exhibitions by Cooper-Hewitt that demonstrate how design can address the world’s most critical issues, opens Oct. 15 at the United Nations and runs through Jan. 9, 2012. Admission to the exhibition will be free.         

In summer 2012, Cooper-Hewitt will present “Graphic Design: Now In Production” at a New York venue. Organized by Andrew Blauvelt of the Walker Art Center and Ellen Lupton of Cooper-Hewitt, the exhibition features work produced since 2000 in the most vital sectors of communication design. Admission to the exhibition will be free.

Cooper-Hewitt Off-Site Education Programs

“Target Design Kids: Design in Your Classroom,” a new initiative by Cooper-Hewitt’s education department, will bring museum educators into schools to present standards-based lesson and hands-on design activities. Appropriate for all K-12 grade levels, the program encourages students and teachers to see themselves as designers as they engage in the design process through active observation, discussion, strategies for visual communication and critique. Design lessons include topics such as “What is design?” and “How do designers solve global challenges?” Pre-visit materials and lesson plans will be available for teachers through Cooper-Hewitt’s Educator Resource Center (www.educatorresourcecenter.org). The programs will be free of charge. Target Design Kids is made possible by the generous support of Target. 

About the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. Founded in 1897 by Amy, Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt—granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper—as part of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, the museum has been a branch of the Smithsonian since 1967. The museum presents compelling perspectives on the impact of design on daily life through active educational programs, exhibitions and publications.

The museum is located at 2 East 91st Street at Fifth Avenue in New York City. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Public transit routes include the 4, 5 and 6 subways (86th or 96th Street stations) and the Fifth and Madison Avenue buses. For further information, call (212) 849-8400 or visit http://www.cooperhewitt.org. The museum is fully accessible.

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