Exhibition at COOPER HEWITT

OPENS June 26, 2026

Occupying the entire first floor of the museum’s Carnegie Mansion, Design Across Time expands public access to Cooper Hewitt’s collection and includes significant works newly brought out of storage. Through objects spanning time, geography, and discipline—including graphic design, product design, fashion, textiles, furniture, wallcoverings, digital design, and architecture—this exhibition highlights the breadth of the national design collection.

Design Across Time organizes the museum’s vast collection around thematic clusters to explore some of the many approaches designers use in their creative process. Designers Play and Tweak to experiment and iterate ideas. They Repeat elements to reinforce messages; Transform materials into sustainable solutions; Show Off craftsmanship to create objects of beauty; or Simplify complex shapes and information.

Educator Tour + Resource Share: Design Across Time

July 9, Thursday, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
Free; advance registration is required.

K-12 Educators, kick off your summer with creativity and connection! Enjoy a free tour of our new exhibition Design Across Time led by curator Emily Orr, then stay for conversation with other educators. You’ll also get introduced to Design Skill Builders, a new collection of fun, ready– to-use activities that bring design thinking skills into any classroom and subject area. Come for inspiration, leave with ideas you’ll actually use.