Dress, North America, 1920-1929, embroidery, tambour work, 40 x 23 in. Allison Gorniakis graduating this week from the Textile and Fashion Design program in the School of Human Ecology. For this week’s Textile Tuesday, graduating senior Allison Gorniak takes a fresh approach to a silk “flapper” dress, using creative writing to imagine the meaning of […]
Inspirations from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection September 18 – November 24, 2019 Opening Reception: Thursday, September 19, 2019, 5:00 – 7:00 pm This fall, a new exhibition marks the conclusion of the 50th anniversary of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. Points of Departure: Inspirations from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection highlights the Collection’s […]
Design Studies Masters in Fine Arts Exhibition April 27 – May 17, 2019 Opening Reception: Thurs, May 2, 5-7 pm Earthly Remains Exhibition Premiers in the Ruth Davis Design Gallery The Ruth Davis Gallery is pleased to present Earthly Remains, a group exhibition featuring works by Larissa Cangussu, Dakota Mace (Diné), and Emily Popp. The Design […]
Interior Architecture Showcase 2018 Friday, December 7 – Monday, December 10, 2018 Opening Reception: Friday, December 7, 5 – 7 pm The Interior Architecture Showcase features the work of IA students who have completed the majority their studio courses. They will present design portfolios that showcase work from their academic careers, including designs for residential […]
A Celebration Sampler January 27 – April 14, 2019 Appliqué to Zardozi: A Celebration Sampler, is the first of two major anniversary exhibitions celebrating the breadth and depth of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, and featuring an international selection of textile-making techniques. The exhibition’s subtitle, A Celebration Sampler, references historic hand-embroidered samplers traditionally made by […]
Dutch Complex Housing Wednesday, September 19 – Sunday, November 18, 2018 Opening Reception: Thursday, September 20, 5 – 7 pm Scarcity of land and high population density in the Netherlands motivates urban planners to pursue different spatial solutions than those prevalent in the United States. This exhibition explores universal planning concepts including thoughtfulness, social commitment, […]
September 19 – November 18, 2018 Opening Reception: Thursday, September 20, 5 – 7 pm Scarcity of land and high population density in the Netherlands motivates urban planners to pursue different spatial solutions than those prevalent in the United States. Holland has a century-old policy of providing housing for all citizens. In the late 20th […]
Center for Design and Material Culture The Center for Design and Material Culture (CDMC) invites collaboration opportunities from UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students as well as off-campus community members. We give special consideration to proposals that encourage engagement with art, design, built environments and modified landscapes and rely on designed objects as primary sources. Successful […]
Center for Design and Material Culture
Designs by Interior Architecture and Landscape Architecture Students June 8 – August 3, 2018 A selection of design works by upper level students in the Interior Architecture and Landscape Architecture Programs at UW-Madison. Interior Architecture coursework combines the art of design with social science to create revolutionary spaces and environments for people. Landscape Architecture provides […]
The Center aspires to be a hub for exchanging ideas, building skills, and broadly promoting the value of objects to enrich our understanding. Our affiliates form a community and are an essential part of our mission! We hope our affiliates will contribute to, participate in, and benefit from our Center programs and join us in […]
Design Studies Masters in Fine Arts Exhibition April 22 – May 13, 2018 Opening Reception: Thurs, April 26, 5-7 pm Each year the Ruth Davis Design Gallery showcases the final, degree-fulfilling work of Master of Fine Arts candidates from the Design Studies Department. The exhibition is the culmination of three years of intensive work as […]
Egúngún Arts of the Yorùbá in Africa and Beyond January 24 – April 8, 2018 The Ruth Davis Design Gallery hosts the exhibition Whirling Return of the Ancestors, a dynamic, multi-sensorial exhibition of sights, sounds, motions … and emotions, January 24 – April 8, 2018. The exhibition presents the rich and varied artistry of Egúngún […]
December 8 – 11, 2017 Special Gallery Hours: Friday, December 8, 10 am – 7 pm Saturday and Sunday, December 9 – 10, Noon – 4 pm Monday, December 11, 10 am – 4 pm Opening reception: Friday, December 8, 5 – 7 pm The Interior Architecture Showcase features the work of IA students who have […]
December 1 – 4, 2017 Special Gallery Hours: Friday, December 1, 10 am – 7 pm Saturday and Sunday, December 2 – 3, Noon – 4 pm Monday, December 4, 10 am – 4 pm Opening reception: Friday, December 1, 5 – 7 pm The Textiles and Fashion Design (TFD) Fall Showcase features the work […]
September 20 – November 19, 2017 Gallery hours: Wednesday – Friday 10 am – 4 pm, Thursday evenings until 7 pm Saturday – Sunday, Noon – 4 pm About the exhibition This fall, the Ruth Davis Design Gallery is organizing The Memory Project: Faces of Joy, a traveling exhibition featuring 70 handmade portraits based on […]
Experiencing Space: Designs by Interior Architecture and Landscape Architecture Friday, June 8 – Friday, August 3, 2018 A selection of design works by upper level students in the Interior Architecture and Landscape Architecture Programs at UW-Madison. Both programs emphasize problem-solving skills and critical thinking based on ecological principles, societal needs, and cultural foundations. Design Studies […]
About the Center The Center for Design and Material Culture (CDMC) is one of five Centers of Excellence within UW-Madison’s School of Human Ecology (SoHE) that promotes human-centered scholarship. In partnership with SoHE’s Design Studies Department the CDMC serves diverse communities of scholars who study, practice, and experience material culture and design as complex relationships […]
The Ruth Davis Design Gallery features exhibitions on a broad range of subjects relating to the processes and results of design. Explore a selection of previous exhibitions. Past student work Past faculty and alumni work
Interior Architecture Showcase: Six Years of Excellence Friday, March 17 – Tuesday, March 28, 2017 Council of Interior Design Accreditation Exhibit Experience the design communication skills that majors must master in order to earn a B.S. degree in interior architecture. The exhibition features examples of student course work including sketching, rendering, computer-aided drafting, and three-dimensional […]
Design 2017: Juried Design Concepts from Across Campus April 14 – April 23, 2017 The best application of design principles and design thinking in real form, this juried exhibition features undergraduate and graduate student work in any field of design taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Submissions may include graphic design, interior architecture, landscape design, […]
September 11 – November 13, 2016 Paul and Hedy Strnad are trapped as the Nazis close in. Can Hedy’s dress designs and their cousin in Milwaukee help them get to the United States? All efforts failed. Hedy and Paul perished in the Holocaust, but their memory lives on in a letter and sketches, which […]
Blog by student Meg McMahon, x’17 In 1997, letters posted 1939 Prague were discovered in Milwaukee. They were written by a young Jewish couple hoping to escape German occupation with the help of an American relative living in Wisconsin. Included in the letters were fashion sketches and an appeal to employ seamstress Hedwig “Hedy” Strnad. Hedy did […]
Crossing Mountains and Other Adventures: Story Quilts by Rumi O’Brien January 22 – March 5, 2017 Rumi O’Brien is that rare storyteller who can transport you to another time and place, introduce you to a colorful cast of characters, and spin an epic tale without ever saying a word. Her stories are told with fabric, […]