Cultivating Design

Explore recent additions to the museum’s collection of modern and contemporary design. From furniture, textiles, and tableware to posters and consumer electronics, the diverse works in this installation illustrate how design shapes our lives in fundamental ways.

Design has formed a core part of the museum’s collections and exhibitions since its founding in 1876 as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, with an original aim of improving the quality of American manufacturing and educating the public about the economic and cultural importance of design, craft, and industry. This installation builds on these historic roots, examining the museum’s ongoing work of collecting and interpreting design’s social and artistic impacts.