Seeing 40/40: Forty Years of Collecting at GMD

Displaying 40 objects from the Goldstein Museum of Design’s collection does not tell the whole story. In fact, the exhibited objects represent only about 1/10th of a percent of the 34,000+ objects catalogued, housed, and cared for by GMD. Since its 1976 opening, GMD has collected thousands of objects from over 1,000 donors, and curated over 200 exhibitions.

Seeing 40/40 encourages visitors to see the presence of design in all of our lives and its keen ability to remind one of time and place. Forty people with a variety of backgrounds have generously contributed their skills to the exhibition, selecting an object from GMD’s permanent collection and providing a unique context for it. Whether an object’s writer has a formal approach that discusses its functionality and history, or a more journalistic approach that includes a personal narrative, visitors will see the object through another’s eyes.

Our 40 commentators include:

Mary Abbe, Chris Amundsen, David Anger, Bill Bloedow, Tim Carl, Ruth Crane, Dolores DeFore, Joanne Eicher, Kaywin Feldman, Tom Fisher, Tim Fleming, Laura Fulk, Emily Galusha, Lois Gibson, Jan-Lodewijk Grootaers, Roald Gunderson, Lili Hall, Christine Hartman, Barbara Heinemann, Helena Hernmarck, Linda Hersom, Karen Kaler, Bruce Karstadt, Lyndel King, Judith Kinghorn, Peggy Korsmo-Kennon, Nicole LaBouff, Stephanie Lake, Camille LeFevre, Linda Mona, Lin Nelson-Mayson, Jennifer Komar Olivaraz, Toby Rapson, Jeff Rathermel, Karl Reichert, Debbie Simmons, Joy Teiken, Joan Vorderbruggen, Jill Ahlberg Yohe, and Becky Yust.

Join us in reflecting on how design solves complicated issues, and unscrambles daily dilemmas in wondrous ways.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.