Date of visit: March 2, 2019
Museum # 24

A coworker mentioned the Cooper-Hewitt to me when I mentioned my love of art and design. And when I looked it up I prepared myself to go the next time I was uptown for a haircut. However, I wound up being thwarted by the government shutdown; the Cooper-Hewitt is actually a Smithsonian! After a few more thwarted attempts (got there too late; wound up spending too much time eating delicious Turkish food at Angora – which I highly recommend if you’re in the area), I finally made it with a friend!

Tip: On Saturday Nights they’re open late, it’s PWYC, and it’s not the most popular museum, so it’s actually not too hard to get into for a discount.

What did you love the most?

A theme that will likely emerge is my love for interactive art! The Cooper-Hewitt really wants you to engage with the museum and gives you a pen to save things that you make or love. I thought I saved this drawing (above) that I made (a live-editable wallpaper), but I guess it didn’t save. Fortunately I took photos!

If you’re into design, whether it’s functional design such as modern cities or staircases this museum is for you!

What is there to see?

The Cooper-Hewitt is located in an interesting old building on the east side of central park. It has a little timeline of it’s history and it’s connections with the NYC arts movement, including being home to some portions of different art academies over time. It has exhibits on color, design, textiles, the future of design, the history of design, and even the effects of human perception on design. In short: it’s fun, and you should definitely check it out if you like interacting with design.