Adult Programs

Adult programs

As the nation’s design museum, Cooper Hewitt offers a range of adult public programs and events that engage with our exhibitions and collections through exploring contemporary and historic design topics. From lectures and panel discussions to studio visits and hands-on workshops, our programming aims to share the power and possibilities of design.

For information about mansion and exhibition tours, please visit Tours.

A photograph of a room full of adults sitting down drawing at multiple tables scattered around a room. At the back of the room there is a screen that has a black and white photograph of an interior space. To the left of the room are three large dome shaped windows, and on the right side of the room there is a fireplace with bookshelves on both sides.

A photograph of a bird's eye view of a light skinned person with curly red hair sitting at a table and drawing an interior space on a piece of paper attached to a clip board.

A photograph of two women holding microphones and stand in front of an audience giving a presentation. The light skinned woman with long straight black hair speaking on the right is Es Devlin, she wears a yellow sweater and a chunky necklace. The light-skinned woman with short brown hair on the left is looking and smiling at Es Devlin. Behind them is a screen projecting an image of a stage composed of large-scale hands and playing cards that appear to be thrown into the air. The stage is set on a waterfront, and in the background the sun is setting.

A photograph of four people sitting in chairs across a stage. The light skinned man sitting in the middle, Seymour Chwast, is speaking into a microphone, he has a grey beard, wears glasses, and a baseball cap. Behind the group is a large screen projecting multiple images of posters and illustrations that relate to War, each designed by Seymour Chawst.

A photograph of two adults giving a presentation in front of a room of adults. The light-skinned adult with brown hair slicked back into a ponytail is speaking to the group. Behind them is a large screen titled, “Conservation: an introduction”, that has multiple images of people doing conservation work. In front of them is a table of various decorative objects that look like vases or candle holders.

A photograph, taken from above, of a group of people sitting down at a table and painting colourful dots onto small circular objects the size of a quarter. Various art materials are scattered across the table, including markers, paintbrushes, stencils, and coloring pages with circular designs that mimic the real-life objects that people are painting.

A photograph of a woman with shoulder length grey-blonde hair and a white knitted cardigan stands at a podium speaking in front of an audience. Behind her is a screen projecting a slide of multiple images, such as a color sample sheet, textile samples on a table, and a mood board.

A photograph of a group of people standing and looking at prints, carving tools, and carved wooden blocks or linocut. The light skinned person with short blond hair standing in the center of the group is taking a picture of the prints on their phone. The medium skinned person on the far right rests their head on their hand, looking inquisitive.

Upcoming Adult Programs

To see programs for all age levels, view our Calendar.

08/01

Thursday

Drop-In Sketching in the Galleries – An Atlas of Es Devlin

Thu. August 1, 2024
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET

Experience the Cooper Hewitt collection objects and exhibitions through drawing! An Atlas of Es Devlin is the first monographic exhibition of British artist and stage designer Es Devlin. The exhibition traces the throughline from Devlin’s early artwork, to sketches and stage plans, to models and videos of her stage designs activated. This exhibition is full of visual imagery to spark the imagination for sketching! View full event details here.

Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 E 91st Street New York, NY 10028

Free with museum admission

08/10

Saturday

Drop-In Sketching in the Galleries – Acquired! Shaping the National Design Collection

Sat. August 10, 2024
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET

Experience the Cooper Hewitt collection objects and exhibitions through drawing! The Acquired! Shaping the National Design Collection exhibition highlights how Cooper Hewitt acquires new objects to shape the collection to better reflect current issues and design’s evolving role in daily interactions. The exhibition has over 150 works on view – which ones will you sketch? View full event details here.

Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 E 91st Street New York, NY 10028

Free with museum admission

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