This fall, celebrated Finnish design house Marimekko will be the inaugural design firm featured in the Design by Hand program, organized by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. This new series of bi-annual educational conversations and workshops will focus on the craftsmanship, innovations and merits of contemporary global designers, from fall 2013 through spring 2017. Three of Marimekko's designers will be on-hand to celebrate the art of print-making and lead a number of workshops from November 5-November 9.
"We are so pleased to be asked by Cooper-Hewitt to be the opening design firm for this wonderful 4-year program," says Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, Marimekko's Creative Director, "Marimekko's designs cross the worlds of textiles, interiors and fashion, and we are delighted to share our approach and unique vision with museum audiences."
Helsinki-based designers Sami Ruotsalainen, Aino-Maija Metsola and Mika Piirainen will participate in a range of programs, including a teen hands-on workshop, adult workshop, college workshop, public lecture and family workshops.
The fall Design By Hand public programs with Marimekko include:
Teen Workshop: Marimekko: Inspired by Life; Tuesday, Nov. 5; 4:00-6:30 p.m. Cooper-Hewitt's teen programs are essential to the museum's goal of developing the designers of tomorrow. This hands-on print workshop will focus on creating prints inspired by everyday life. The teens will work with Marimekko designers to translate colors, patterns and shapes into personal expressions. University-level Workshop: Dressing Up People and Objects; Wednesday, Nov. 6; 2-4:30 p.m. Students will work side by side with Marimekko designers to learn how to wrap three dimensional forms with patterns and colors. Adult Hands-on Workshop: Design Storytelling; Wednesday, Nov. 6; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Marimekko designers will discuss powerful examples of storytelling through the firm's prints and lead a hands-on print workshop for participants to explore the theme in their own work. Public Lecture: The Spirit of Marimekko Design; Thursday, Nov. 7; 6:30-8 p.m. The public program will feature a discussion about Marimekko's approach to design, including its design language of colors, patterns and shapes. Family Workshops: Colors, Patterns and Shapes; Saturday, Nov. 9; 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. These family workshops will be inspired by Marimekko's work and will feature a creative, hands-on program, led by museum educators.
